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OTRONG Son of God, Immortal Love, 
^ Whom we, that have not feen thy face. 

By faith, and faith alone embrace, 
Believing where we cannot prove. 

^ ^ ^ :{: ^ 

Thou feemeft human and divine. 
The higheft, holieft manhood Thou j 
Our wills are ours, we know not how. 

Our wills are ours to make them Thine, 

iq^ JfS •i» ^5 SJC 

O Living Will that fhalt endure. 

When all that feems fhall fuffer fhock. 
Rife in the fpiritual Rock, 

Flow through our deeds and make them pure* 

That we may lift from out the duft, 
A voice as unto him that hears, 
A cry above the conquered years. 

To one that with us works, and truft 

With faith that comes of self-control 
The truths that never can be proved. 
Until we clofe with all we loved 

And all we flow from, foul in foul. 

Tennyson. 



Ver ^/tf^/or-,. 



®l)C0loflta ©trntamca: 

UHjicI] fettetl) fortl] mang fair Cinmments of 

bimne SrntI), anb faitl] Derg loftg 

anir locdg tiymga toucl)ing a 

perfect Cife. 



EDITED BY DR. PFEIFFER FROM THE ONLY 
COMPLETE MANUSCRIPT YET KNOWN. 

TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN BY 

SUSANNA WINKWORTH. 

With a PREFACE by the Rev. Charles Kingsley, 

Reaor of Everfley, and a LETTER to the Tranflator 

by the Chevalier Bunsen, D D., D.C.L., &c. 

And an Introdu6lion by 

ProfelTor Calvin E. Stowe, D. D. 



-^e^es^i^^^^s^ 



ANDOVER : 

PRINTED & PUBLISHED BY W. F. DRAPER, 

at his Printing Houfe, Main Street. 

BOSTON: 

JOHN P. JEWETT & C O >^ 
MDCCCLX. 




Entered, according to A61 of Congrefs, In the year 1855, 

BY Warren F. Draper, 

in the Clerk's Office of the Diftria Court of the Diftria 

of Maffachufetts, 






W. F. ly APER, 

Stereotyper and Printer, 
Andover. 




TO THE READER. 

For the evangelical Chriftian this 
little work needs no other recommen- 
dation than that which is given by 
Martin Luther, in his brief, terfe, and 
charafteriflic preface to it as originally 
publiihed by him. Amid the multi- 
tude of theological works then in ex- 
igence, with which his mind had been 
wearied and bewildered, this met his 
eye as an oalis in the defert, as a pre- 
cious lump of pure gold in a flag of 
earth and ftone. It fets forth the ef- 
fential principle of the gofpel in its 
naked fimplicity, juft as it is, and juft 
as it proves itfelf moft acceptable to 
every foul which feels its need of fal- 
b 



V 



vation and finds that falvation in Chrift 
alone. 

4 fenfe of fin, a conviction of deep 
depravity, a feeling of utter helplefl- 
nefs, lies at the foundation of all ade- 
quate appreciation of the gofpel. In 
proportion as this convidlion and feel- 
ing is quick and frefh, the gofpel is life 
and power; in proportion as it is faded 
and indiftindl, the gofpel becomes pow- 
erlefs and lifelefs. As it has been 
juftly faid in nervous, idiomatic Eng- 
lifh. Well enough needs no help. 

Never does the Chriftian, taught by 
the Spirit, feel fo utterly helplefs as 
when he labors in earneft to fecure his 
own falvation or the falvation of a fel- 
low creature. He here finds obftacles 
which God alone can remove, he here 
encounters a labor which God alone 
can accomplifii; and no language can 
fully exprefs his own feeling of his own 




impotency, and of the unfpeakable 
worth of that Saviour who is able to 
fave to the uttermojl. 

The great value and intereft of the 
following treatife depends on the vivid- 
nefs and entirenefs with which it holds 
thefe ideas, and the Angular iimplicity, 
energy and clearnefs with which it 
exprefTes them. Man never becomes 
fpiritually minded, he always continues 
wordly, until he has finally defpaired 
of himfelf, and thrown his foul wholly 
on God in Chrift. Then he can tajle 
the good word of Gody and the powers of 
the world to come^ and fee that the Lord 
is gracious; and foon other objefts will 
have no glory by reafon of this glory that 
excelleth. By fuch a one this German 
Theology will be relifhed with keeneft 
zeft of appetite; and while to others 
it will appear dull, old-fafhioned, un- 
meaning and myftical. 



viii Preface. 

In this day of the outwardy when all 
that is phyfical and earthly is pufhing 
itfelf forward with fuch a deafening, 
dazzling rulh, it is to be hoped that the 
inwardj the true Chriftian lifey which 
is hid with Chrijl in Gody may be cher- 
iihed and promoted by the republica- 
tion of a trad: which was in fome fenfe 
the harbinger of the Proteftant Refor- 
mation, and helped to create in the 
foul of Luther that mighty inner man, 
which in its outer developments fhook 
the world to its centre and fnapped 
afunder the chains that Satan had been 
more than a thoufand years in forging. 

C, E. STOWK 

Ando<ver^ September ist, 1855. 



PREFACE. 

'T^O thofe who really hunger and 
thirft after righteoufnefs; and 
who therefore long to know what 
righteoufnefs is, that they may copy it : 
To thofe who long to be freed, not 
merely from the punifhment of fin 
after they die, but from fin itfelf while 
they live on earth; and who therefore 
wifh to know what fin is, that they 
may avoid it: To thofe who wifh to 
be really jufl:ified by faith, by being 
made juft perfons by faith; and who 
cannot fatisfy either their confciences 
or reafons by fancying that God looks 



X Preface. 

on them as right, when they know 
themfelves to be wrong, or that the 
God of truth will ll:oop to iiftions (mif- 
called forenlic) which would be con- 
fidered falfe and unjuft in any human 
court of law: To thofe who cannot 
help trufting that union with Chrift 
muft be fomething real and fubftantial, 
and not merely a metaphor, and a flower 
of rhetoric: To thofe, laftly, who can- 
not help feeing that the dodlrine of 
Chrift in every man, as the Indwelling 
Word of God, The Light who lights 
every one who comes into the world, 
is no peculiar tenet of the Quakers, 
but one which runs through the whole 
of the Old and New Teftaments, and 
without which they would both be un- 
intelligible, juft as the fame dodrine 
runs through the whole hiftory of the 
Early Church for the firft two centu- 
ries, and is the only explanation of 



them; — To all thefe this noble little 
book will recommend itfelf; and may- 
God blefs the reading of it to them, 
and to all others no lefs. 

As for its orthodoxy; to **evangeli- 
caP' Chriftians Martin Luther's own 
words ought to be sufficient warrant. 
For he has faid that he owed more to 
this than to any other book, faving the 
Bible and Saint Auguftine. Thofe on 
the other hand, to whom Luther's name 
does not feem a fufficient guarantee, 
mull: recoiled:, that the Author of this 
book was a knight of the Teutonic 
order; one who confidered himfelf,and 
was confidered, as far as we know, by 
his contemporaries, an orthodox mem- 
ber of the Latin Church; that his 
friends and difciples were principally 
monks exerciiing a great influence in 
the Catholic Church of their days; that 
one of their leaders was appointed by 



Pope John XXII. Nuncio, and over- 
feer of the Dominican order in Ger- 
many; and that during the hundred 
and feventy years which elapfed be- 
tween the writing of this book and the 
Reformation, it incurred no ecclefiafti- 
cal cenfure whatfoever, in generations 
which were but too fond of making 
men offenders for a word. 

Not that I agree with all which is 
to be found in this book. It is for its 
noble views of righteoufnefs and of fin 
that I honour it, and rejoice at feeing 
it publifhed in Englifh, now for the 
firft time from an edition bafed on the 
perfed; manufcript. But even in thofe 
points in which I fhould like to fee it 
altered, I am well aware that there are 
ftrong authorities againft me. The 
very expreffion, for inftance, which 
moft ftartles me, ^^vergottety' deified or 
made divine, is ufed, word for word. 



both by Saint Athanafe and Saint Au- 
guftine, the former of whom has faid: 
*^He became man that we might be 
made God;"* and the latter, ''He call- 
ed men Gods, as being deified by His 
grace, not as born of His fubftance/'^f- 
There are many paiTages, moreover, in 
the Epiftles of the Apoftles, which, if 
we paraphrafe them at all, we can hard- 
ly paraphrafe in weakerwords. Itfeems 
to me fafer and wifer to cling to the 
letter of Scripture : but God forbid that 
I fliould wifh to make fuch a man as 
the Author of the Theologia Germa- 
nica an offender for a word! 

One point more may be worthy of 
remark. In many obfcure paiTages of 
this book, words are ufed, both by the 

* Aikdg inr^vdqoinricTBv 2va '^ixeXg 6€07roci^6(hjLisy, Athan. 
Orat. de Incarn Verbl. Tom. i page io8. 

f Homines dixit Decs, ex gratia fua deificatos j non de 
fubftantia fua natos. Aug. in Pfalm xlix. (Ed. Bened. 
Tom. iv. page 414) 



Author and by the tranflator, in their 
ftri6t, original, and fcientific meaning, 
as they are ufed in the Creeds, and not 
in that meaning which has of late crept 
into our very pulpits, under the influ- 
ence of Locke's philofophy. When, 
for inftance, it is faid that God is the 
Subftance of all things; this expreffion, 
in the vulgar Lockite fenfe of fubftance, 
would mean that God is the matter or 
ftuflF of which all things are made; 
which would be the grofl"eft Pantheifm: 
but ^* Subftance'' in the true and an- 
cient meaning of the word, as it ap- 
pears in the Athanaiian Creed, figniiies 
the very oppofite; namely, that which 
Jlands under the appearance and the 
matter; that by virtue of which a thing 
has its form, its life, its real exiftence, 
as far as it may have any; and thus in 
aiferting that God is the Subftance of 
all things, this book means that every 



thing (except fin, which is no thing, 
but the difeafe and fall of a thing) is a 
thought of God. 

So again with Eternity. It will be 
found in this book to mean not merely 
fome future endlefs duration, but that 
ever-prefent moral world, governed by 
ever-living and abfolutelyneceflary laws, 
in which we and all fpirits are now; 
and in which we fhould be equally, 
whether time and fpace, extenfion and 
duration, and the whole material uni- 
verfe to which they belong, became 
nothing this moment, or lafted endleffly. 

I think it neceflary to give thefe cau- 
tions, becaufe by the light of Locke's 
philofophy, little or nothing will be 
difcerned in this book, and what little 
is difcerned, will probably be utterly 
mifunderftood. If any man wifhes to 
fee clearly what is herein written, let 
him try to forget all popular modern 



dogmas and fyftems, all popular philo- 
fophies (falfely fo called), and be true 
to the letter of his Bible, and to the 
inftinds which the Indwelling Word 
of God was wont to awaken in his 
heart, while he was yet a little unfo- 
phifticated child ; and then let him be 
fure that he will find in this book germs 
of wider and deeper wifdom than its 
good Author ever dreamed of; and that 
thofe great fpiritual laws, which the 
Author only applies, and that often in- 
confiftently, to an afcetic and paffively 
contemplative life, will hold juft as 
good in the family, in the market, in 
the fenate, in the ftudy, ay, in the bat- 
tle-field itfelf; and teach him the way 
to lead, in whatfover ftation of life he 
may be placed, a truly manlike, becaufe 
a truly Chriftlike and Godlike Hfe. 

Charles Kingsley. 

Torquay, Lent, 1854., 



Hiftorical Introdu6lion. 



BY THE TRANSLATOR. 



''TpHE Treatife before us was difcov- 
ered by Luther, who firll: brought 
it into notice by an Edition of it which 
he publifhed in 1 516. A Second Edi- 
tion, which came out two years later, 
he introduced with the following Pre- 
face : — 

**We read that St. Paul, though he 
was of a weak and contemptible pre- 
fence, yet wrote weighty and powerful 
letters, and he bdafts of himfelf that 
his ^fpeech is not with enticing words 
of man's device,' but ^full of the riches 
b 



of all knowledge and wifdom/ And 
if we coniider the wondrous ways of 
God, it is clear, that He hath never 
chofen mighty and eloquent preachers 
to fpeak His word, but as it is written: 
* Out of the mouths of babes and fuck- 
lings haft thou perfected praife,'Ps. viii, 
2. And again, ^For wifdom opened 
the mouth of the dumb, and made the 
tongues of them that cannot fpeak elo- 
quent,' Wifdom X. 21 • Again, He 
blameth fuch as are high-minded and 
are offended at thefe fimple ones. Con- 
filium inopis, &c. 'Ye have made a 
mock at the counfel of the poor, be- 
caufe he putteth his truft in the Lord," 
Pf. xiv. 6. 

''This I fay becaufe I will have 
every one warned who readeth this lit- 
tle book, that he fhould not take of- 
fence, to his own hurt, at its bad Ger- 
man, or its crabbed and uncouth words. 



IntroduSiion. xix 

For this noble book, though it be poor 
and rude in words, is fo much the richer 
and more precious in knowledge and 
divine wifdom. And I will fay, though 
it be boafting of myfelf and ' I fpeak as 
a fool,' that next to the Bible and St. 
Auguf1:ine,no book hath ever come into 
my hands, whence I have learnt, or 
would wifh to learn more of what God, 
and Chrift, and man and all things are; 
and now I firft find the truth of what 
certain of ihe learned have faid in fcorn 
of us theologians of Wittemberg, that 
we would be thought to put forward 
new things, as though there had never 
been men elfewhere and before our 
time. Yea, verily, there have been 
men, but God's wrath, provoked by 
our fins, hath not judged us worthy to 
fee and hear them ; for it is well known 
that for a long time paft fuch things 
have not been treated of in our univer- 



lities; nay, it has gone fo far, that the 
Holy Word of God is not only laid on 
the Ihelf, but is almoft mouldered away 
with duft and moths. Let as many as 
will, read this little book, and then fay 
whether Theology is a new or an old 
thing among us: for this book is not 
new. But if they fay as before, that 
we are but German theologians, we will 
not deny it, I thank God that 1 have 
heard and found my God in the Ger- 
man tongue, as neither I nor they have 
yet found him in the Latin, Greek, or 
Hebrew tongue. God grant that this 
book may be fpread abroad, then we 
fhall find that the German theologians 
are without doubt the beft theologians. 

(Signed, without date,) 

Dr. Martin Luther, 
AuGUSTiNiAN of Wittemberg/' 



I?2trodu8iio?2. xxi 

Thefe words of Luther will proba- 
bly be coniidered to form a fufficient 
juftificatlon for an attempt to prefent 
the Theologia Germanica in an Englifh 
drefs. When Luther fent it forth, its 
effort to revive the confcioufnefs of 
fpiritual life was received with enthufi- 
afm by his fellow-countrymen, in whom 
that life was then breaking with vol- 
canic energy through the clouds of for- 
malifm and hypocrify, with which the 
Romifh Church had fought to ftifle its 
fires. No fewer than feventeen edi- 
tions of the work appeared during the 
lifetime of Luther. Up to the prefent 
day, it has continued to be a favourite 
handbook of devotion in Germany, 
where it has paffed through certainly 
as many as fixty Editions, and it has 
alfo been widely circulated in France 
and the Netherlands, by means of La- 
tin, French, and Flemifh tranflations. 



To the queftion, who was the author 
of a book which has exerted fo great 
an influence, no anfwer can be given, 
all the various endeavours to difcover him 
having proved fruitlefs. Till within 
the laft few years, Luther was our fole 
authority for the text of the work, 
but about 1850, a Manufcript of it was 
difcovered at Wurtzburg, by ProfeiTor 
Reufs, the librarian of the Univerfity 
there, which has iince been pubUfhed 
verbatim by ProfeiTor PfeifFer,of Prague. 
This Manufcript dates from 1497; 
confequently it is fomewhat older than 
Luther's time, and it alfo contains fome 
paflages not found in his editions. As 
upon careful comparifon, it feemed to 
the Tranflator indifputably fuperior to 
the beft modern editions bafed upon 
Luther's, it has been feledled as the 
' groundwork of the prefent tranflation, 
merely correcting from the former, 



IntroduSiion. 



XXlll 



one or two pafTages which appeared to 
contain errors of the prefs,ormore likely 
of the tranfcriber's pen. The paffages 
not found in Luther's edition are here 
enclofed between brackets. 

As has been ftated, the author of the 
Theologia Germanica is unknown; but 
it is evident from his whole caft of 
thought, as well as from a Preface at- 
tached to the Wurtzburg Manufcript, 
that he belonged to a clafs of men who 
fprang up in Southern Germany at the 
beginning of the fourteenth century, 
and who were diftinguifhed for their 
earneft piety and their practical belief 
in the prefenceof the Spiritof God with 
all Chriftians, laity as well as clergy. 

Thefe men had fallen upon evil 
times. Their age was not indeed one 
of thofe periods in which the vigour of 
the nobler powers of the foul is enfee- 
bled by the abundance of material prof- 



i 




perity and phyfical enjoyment, nor yet 
one of thofe in which they are utterly 
crufhed out under the hoof of oppref- 
lion and mifery; but it was an age in 
which conflicting elements were wildly 
flrugglingfor the maftery. Thehigheft 
fpiritual and temporal authorities were 
at deadly ftrife with each other and 
among themfelves; and in their con- 
tefts, there were few provinces or towns 
that did not repeatedly fuff'er the hor- 
rors of war. The defolation caufed by 
its ravages, was however fpeedily re- 
paired during the intervals of peace, by 
the extraordinary energy which the 
German nation difplayed in that bloom 
of its manhood; fo that times of deep 
mifery and great profperity rapidly al- 
ternated with each other. But on the 
whole, during the firft half of this cen- 
tury, the fenfe of the calamities, which 
were continually recurring, predomin- 



Introduction. xxv 

ated over the recolIed;ion of the calmer 
years which were barely sufficient to 
allow breathing time between the fuc- 
ceffive waves that threaten to over- 
whelm fecial order and happinefs. 

The unqueflioning faith and honefl 
enthuiiafm which had prompted the 
Crufades, no longer burnt with the 
fame fierce ardour, for the unhappy 
iifue of thofe facred enterprifes, and the 
fcandalous worldly ambition of the heads 
of the Church, had moderated its fer- 
vour and faddened the hearts of true be- 
lievers. Yet the one Catholic, Chriftian 
creed ftill held an undivided and very 
real fovereignty over men's minds, and 
the fupremacy of the Church in things 
fpiritual was never queftioned, though 
many were beginning to feel that it 
was needful for the State to have an in- 
dependent authority in things temporal, 
and the queftion was warmly agitated 




how much of the fpiritual authority 
relided in the Pope and how much in 
the bifhops and dodors of the Church. 
But in whichever way the difpute be- 
tween thefe rival claims might be ad- 
jufted, the reverence for the office of the 
clergy remained unimpaired. The cafe 
was very different with the reverence 
for their perfonsy which had fallen to a 
very low ebb, owing to the worldlinefs 
and immorality of their lives. This 
again was much encouraged by the con- 
dudl of the Popes, who, in their zeal 
to eftablifh worldly dominion, made ec- 
cleiiaftical appointments rather with a 
view to gain political adherents, or to 
acquire wealth by the fale of benefices, 
than with a regard to the fitnefs of the 
men fele6led,or the welfare of the peo- 
ple committed to their charge. 

On the whole, it was an age of faith, 
though by no means of a blind, unrea- 



IntroduEiion . xxvii 

foning taking things for granted. On 
the contrary, the evidences of extreme 
activity of mind meet us on every hand, 
in the monuments of its literature, ar- 
chitedure, and invention. A fev^ fadls 
flrikingly illuftrate the divergent ten- 
dencies of thought and public opinion. 
Thus we may remember, hovv^ it was 
currently reported that the profligate 
Pope Boniface VIII. was privately an 
unbeliever, even deriding the idea of 
the immortality of the foul, at the very 
time when he was maintaining againft 
Philip the Fair, the right of the Pope 
to fit, asChrift's reprefentative, in judg- 
ment on the living and the dead, and 
to take thefword of temporal power out 
of the hands of thofe who mifufed it.* 
Whether this accufationwas true or not, 

* Neander's ^^Kirchengefchtchte T Band 6, S. 15, 20. 
This work and Schmitz's " Johannes T^auler <von Straf- 
burg,'"' are the authorities for moft of the fa6ls here men- 
tioned. 



xxviii Hifiorical 



it is a remarkable fign of the times that 
it fhould have been widely believed. 

Some years later, and v^hen the in- 
creafed corruptnefs of the clergy, after 
the removal of the Papal Court to 
Avignon, provoked ftill louder com- 
plaints, we fee the religious and pa- 
triotic Emperor, Louis IV., accufing 
John XXII. of herefy, in a public af- 
fembly held in the fquare of St. Peter's 
at Rome, and fetting up another Pope 
*^ in order to pleafe the Roman people.'' 
But though the new Pope was every 
way fitted, by his unblemifhed charac- 
ter and afcetic manners, to gain a hold 
on public efteem, we fee that the Em- 
peror could not maintain him againft 
the legitimately elected Pope, who 
from his feat at Avignon, had power to 
harafs the Emperor fo greatly with his 
interdids, that the latter, finding all 
efforts at conciliatfon fruitlefs, would 



IntroduSiion. xxix 

have bought peace by unconditional 
fubmiflion, had not the Eftates of the 
Empire refufed to yield to fuch humi- 
hation. Yet we find this very Pope 
obliged to yield and retrad: his opinions 
on a point of dogmatic theology. He 
had in a certain treatife propounded the 
opinion that the fouls of the pious would 
not be admitted to the immediate vifion 
of the Deity until after the day of Judg- 
ment. The King of France, in 1433, 
called an afiembly of Prelates and theo- 
logians at his palace at Vincennes, where 
he invited them to difcufs before him 
the two queftions, w^hether the fouls of 
departed faints would be admitted to 
an immediate vifion of the Deity before 
the refurred:ion; and whether, if fo, 
their vifion would be of the fame or of 
a diff'erent kind* after the Judgment 
Day? The theological faculty having 
come to conclufions differing in fome 




refpe<5ls from thofe of the Pope, the 
King threatened the latter with the 
ftake as a heretic, unlefs he retrad:ed; 
and John XXIL iflued a bull, declaring 
that what he had faid or written, ought 
only to be received in fo far as it agreed 
with the Catholic Faith, the Church 
and Holy Scripture. No circumftance, 
perhaps, offers a more remarkable fpec- 
tacle to us in its contraft with the fpirit 
of our own times. At the prefent mo- 
ment, when the Pope could not lit for 
a day in fafety on his temporal throne 
without the defence of French or Auf- 
trian bayonets, we can fcarcely conceive 
an Emperor of France or Auftria taking 
upon himfelf to convene an affembly of 
Catholic theologians, and the latter pro- 
nouncing a cenfure on the dogmas pro- 
pounded by the Head of the Church! 
It would be hard to fay whether the 
Sovereigns of the prefent day would be 



IntroduSiion. xxxi 

more amufed by the abfurdity of de- 
voting their time to fuch difcuffions, or 
the confciences of good CathoHcs more 
fhocked at the prefumption of fuch a 
verdidt. 

Still it muft not be forgotten that 
the importance of religious affairs in 
that age mull: not be afcribed too ex- 
clufively to earneftnefs about religion 
itfelf, for the eccleiiaflical intereft pre- 
dominated over the purely religious. 
The Pope and the Emperor reprefent- 
ed the two great antagoniftic powers, 
fpiritual and temporal, the rivalry be- 
tween which abforbed into itfelf all the 
political and focial queftions that could 
then be agitated. The queftion of 
allegiance to the Pope or the Emper- 
or was like the conteft between royal- 
ifm and republicanifm ; the Ghibelline 
called himfelf a patriot, and was called 
by his adverfary, the Guelf, a worldly 



man or even an infidel, while he retort- 
ed by calling the Guelf a betrayer of 
his country, and an enemy of national 
liberties. 

We cannot help feeing, however, 
that in thofe days both princes and peo- 
ple, wicked as their lives often were, 
did really believe in the Chriflian reli- 
gion, and that while much of the my- 
thological, and much of the formaliftic 
element mingled in their zeal for out- 
ward obfervances, there was alfo much 
thoroughly fincere enthufiafm among 
them. But both the great powers op- 
prefTed the people, which looked alter- 
nately to the one fide or the other for 
emancipation from the particular griev- 
ancesfelt to be moft galling at any given 
moment or place. In the frightful 
moral and phyfical condition of fociety, 
it was no wonder that a defpair of Pro- 
vidence fhould have begun to attack 



IntroduSiion. xxxiii 

fome minds, which led to materialiftic 
fcepticifm, while others fought for help 
on the path of wild fpeculation. The 
latter appears to have been the cafe with 
the Beghards or '^Brothers and Sifters 
of the Free Spirit," who attempted to 
inftitute a reform by withdrawing the 
people altogether from the influence of 
the clergy, but whofe followers after a 
time too often fell into the vices of the 
priefts from whom they had feparated 
themfelves. In 13 17, we find the 
Bifhopof Ochfenftein complaining that 
Alface was filled with thefe Beghards, 
who appear to have been a kind of an- 
tinomian pantheifts, teaching that the 
Spirit is bound by no law, and annihi- 
lating the diftindlion between the Cre- 
ator and the creature. Both in their 
excellencies and defedls they remind us 
of the modern ^'German Catholics,'' 
and of fome, too, of the recent Proteft- 



ant fchools in Germany. There feems 
to have been no party of profelTed un- 
believers, but thatfome individuals were 
fuch in v^ord as v^ell as deed, appears 
from what Ruyfbroch of Bruffels/^ 
( 1 300-1 330) fays of thofe ^^who live 
in mortal iin, not troubling themfelves 
about God or his grace, but thinking 
virtue fheer nonfenfe, and the fpiritual 
life hypocrify or delulion; and hearing 
with difguft all mention of God or vir- 
tue, for they are perfuaded that there 
is no fuch thing as God, or Heaven, or 
Hell; for they acknowledge nothing 
but what is palpable to the fenfes/' 

The early part of the fourteenth cen- 
tury faw Germany divided for nine y-ears 
between the rival claims of two Em- 
perors, Frederick of Auftria, fupported 
by Pope John XXH. and a failion in 

, * As quoted by Neander. Kir chengef chic hte, B. 6, 
S. 769. 



IntroduEiion. xxxv 

Germany, and Louis of Bavaria, whofe 
caufe was efpoufed by a majority of the 
Princes of the Empire, as that of the 
defender of the dignity and indepen- 
dence of the State, and the champion 
of reform within the Church. The 
death of Frederick in 1322, left Louis 
the undifputed Emperor, as far as nearly 
all his fubjeds were concerned, and he 
would fain have purchafed peace with 
the Pope on any reafonable terms, that 
he might apply himfelf to the internal 
improvement of his dominions; but 
John XXIL was implacable, and con- 
tinued to wage againft him and his ad- 
herents a deadly warfare, not clofed 
until his fucceflbr Charles IV, fubmit- 
ted to all the papal demands, and to 
every indignity impofed upon him. 

One of the moft fearful confequences 
of the enmity between John XXIL and 
Louis of Bavaria, to the unfortunate 



xxxvi Hifiorkal 



fubje6ls of the latter, was the Interdid: 
under which his dominions were laid 
in 1324, and from which fome places, 
diftinguifhed for their loyalty to the 
Emperor, were not relieved for fix and 
twenty years. Louis, indeed, defired 
his fubjefts to pay no regard to the bull 
of excommunication, and moft of the 
laity, efpecially of the larger towns, 
would gladly have obeyed him in fpite 
of the Pope; but the greater part of 
the biihops and clergy held with their 
fpiritual head, and thus the inhabitants 
of Strafburg, Nuremberg, and other 
cities, where the civil authorities fided 
with the Emperor, and the clergy with 
the Pope, were left year after year with- 
out any religious privileges; for public 
worfhip ceafed, and all the buiinefs of 
life went on without the benedictions 
of the Church, no rite being allowed 
but baptifm and extreme undion. 



After this had lafted fixteen years, 
the Emperor, wifhing to relieve the an- 
guifhedconfciencesof hispeople,iirued, 
in conjundlion with the Princes of the 
Empire, a great manifefto to all Chrif- 
tendom, refuting the Pope's accufations 
againft him, maintaining that he who'^ 
had been legally chofen by the Electors 
was, in virtue thereof, the rightful Em- 
peror, and had received this dignity 
from God, and proclaiming that all 
who denied this were guilty of high 
treafon; and therefore none fhould be 
allowed any longer to obferve the Inter- 
did:, and all who fhould continue to do 
fo, whether communities or individuals, 
fhould be deprived of every civil and 
ecclefiaftical right and privilege. This 
courageous edift found a refponfe in the 
heart of the nation, and public opinion 
continually declared itfelf more ftrongly 
on the fide of the Emperor. Yet on 



xxxviii Hijlorical 



the whole it rather increafed the gen- 
eral anarchy; for in many places the 
priefts and monks were fteadfaft in their 
allegiance to the Pope, and, refufing to 
adminifter public fervice, were altogeth- 
er banifhed from the towns, and the 
churches and convents clofed* In Straf- 
burg, for inftance, where the regular 
clergy had long fince ceafed to perform 
religious rites, the Dominicans and 
Francifcans had continued to preach 
and perform mafs; but now, they too, 
frightened by the Edidl, which placed 
them in diredl oppofition to the Pope, 
dared no longer to difregard the renewed 
fentence of excommunication hanging 
over them, and refufing to read mafs, 
were expelled by the Town Council. 
Many of thefe banifhed clergy wan- 
dered about in great diftrefs, with dif- 
ficulty finding refuge among the fcat- 
tered rural population, and the fufi'er- 



\ 



IntroduSiion. xxxix 

ings they endured proved the iincerity 
of their confcientious fcruples. Some 
few, either from worldly motives, or 
out of pity for the people, remained at 
their ports. The former indeed throve 
by the miferies of their fellow-creatures, 
driving a ufurious trade in the famine 
of fpiritual confolation; for it is upon 
record, that in time of peftilence, the 
price of fhrift has been as much as 
fixty florins! 

The fpedtacle of fuchdifcord between 
the clergy and the laity, was fomething 
unfpeakably fhocking to the Chriftian 
world in that age, and the energetic 
proceedings of the magiftracy muft 
have utterly daggered the faith of m.any. 
Of all the events that were ftirring up 
men's paffions and energies, none was 
more calculated to move their fouls to 
the very centre, than to find themfelves 
compelled to ftand up in arms againfl: 




thofe whom they had been wont to 
bow down before and to reverence as 
the fource of thofe fpiritual bleffings, 
for the fake of which they were now 
driven in defperation to take this awful 
flep. 

To thefe political and religious dif- 
fenfions were added, in procefs of time, 
other miferies. After it had been pre- 
ceded by earthquakes, hurricanes and 
famine, the Black Death broke out, 
fpreading terror and defolation through 
Southern Europe. Men faw in thefe 
frightful calamities the judgments of 
God, but looked in vain for any to ihow 
them a way of deliverance and efcape. 
Some believed that the laft day was ap- 
proaching; fome, remembering an old 
prophecy, looked with hope for the re- 
turn of the Great Emperor Frederick 
11. to reftore juftice and peace in the 
world, to punifh the wicked clergy. 



IntroduEiion. xli 

and help the poor and opprefled flock 
to their rights. Others traverfed the 
country in procefTions, fcourging them- 
ielves and praying with a loud voice, 
in order to atone for their fins and ap- 
peafe God's anger, and inveighing 
againft man's unbelief, which had call- 
ed down God's wrath upon the earth; 
while fome thought to do God fervice, 
by wreaking vengeance on the people 
which had flain the Lord, and thouf- 
ands of wretched Jews perifhed in the 
flames kindled by frantic terror. *'A11 
things worked together to deepen the 
fenfe of the corruptnefs of the Church, 
to lead men's thoughts onwards from 
their phyfical to their fpiritual wants, 
to awaken refledlion on the judgments 
of God, and to fix their eyes on the in- 
dications of the future,"* fo that John 
of Winterthur was probably not alone, 

• Neander, Kirchengefchichte. B. 6, S. 728, 




in applying to his own times, what St. 
Paul fays of the perils of the latter days. 
In thefe chaotic times, and in the 
countries where the ftorms raged moft 
fiercely, there were fome who fought 
that peace which could not be found 
on earth, in intercourfe with a higher 
world, Deftitute of help and comfort 
and guidance from man, they took re- 
fuge in God, and finding that to them 
He had proved "a prefent help in time 
of trouble,^' ^*as the fhadow of a great 
rock in a weary land,'' they tried to 
bring their fellow-men to believe and 
partake in a life raifed above the trou- 
bles of this world. They defired to 
fhow them that that Eternal life and 
enduring peace, which Chrift had pro- 
mifed to His difciples, was, of a truth, 
to be found by the Way which he had 
pointed out, — by a living union with 
Him and the Father who had fent Him. 



IntroduEiion^ xliii 

With this aim, like-minded men and 
women joined themfelves together, that 
by communion of heart and mutual 
counfel they might ftrengthen each 
other in their common efforts to revive 
the fpiritual life of thofe around them. 
The Aflbciation they founded was kept 
fecret, left through mifconception of 
their principles, they might fall under 
fufpicion of herefy, and the Inquifition 
Ihould put a ftop to their labours; but 
they defired to keep themfelves aloof 
from everything that favoured of herefy 
or diforder. On the contrary, they 
carefully obferved all the precepts of 
the Church, and carried their obedience 
fo far that many of their number were 
among the priefts, who were banifhed 
for obeying the Pope, when the Em- 
peror ordered them to difregard the In- 
terdidl. They aflumed the appellation 
of '* Friends of God,'' (Gottesfreunde) 




and in the courfe of a few years, their 
affociations extended along the Rhine 
provinces from Bafle to Cologne, and 
eaftwards through Swabia, Bavaria, and 
Franconia, Straiburg, Conftance, Nu- 
remberg and Nordhngen were among 
their chief feats. Their diftinguifhing 
do6lrines were felf-renunciation, — the 
complete giving up of self-will to the 
will of God; — the continuous activity 
of the Spirit of God in all believers, 
and the intimate union poffible between 
God and man; — the worthleiTnefs of all 
religion bafed upon fear or the hope of 
reward; — and the elTential equality of 
the laity and clergy, though for the 
fake of order and difcipline, the organi- 
zation of the Church was neceffary. 
They often appealed to the declaration 
of Chrift (John xv. 15), *^ Henceforth 
I call you not fervants; for the fervant 
knoweth not what his lord doeth; but 



I 



IntroduEiion. xlv 

I have called you friends; for all things 
that I have heard of my Father I have 
made known unto you;'' and from this 
they probably derived their name of 
** Friends of God/' Their mode of 
adion w^as iimply perfonal, for they 
made no attempt to gain political and 
hierarchical powder, but exerted all their 
influence by means of preaching, vv^ri- 
ting and fecial intercourfe. The Af- 
fociation counted among its members 
priefts, monks, and laity, without dif- 
tindlion of rank or fex. Its leaders 
ftood likewife in clofe connexion with 
feveral convents, efpecially thofe of En- 
genthal and Maria-Medingen near Nu- 
remberg, preiided over by the iifters 
Chriftina and Margaret Ebner, much 
of whofe correfpondence is ftill extant. 
Agnes, the widow of King Andrew of 
Hungary, and various knights and bur- 
ghers are alfo named as belonging to it. 




Foremoft among the leaders of this 
party fhould be mentioned the celebrat- 
ed Tauler, a Dominican monk of Straf- 
burg, who fpent his life in preaching 
and teaching up and down the country 
from Stralburg to Cologne, and whofe 
influence is to this day active among 
his countrymen by means of his admir- 
able fermons, which are ftill widely 
read. At the time of the Interdict, he 
wrote a noble appeal to the clergy not 
to forfake their flocks, maintaining that 
if the Emperor had finned, the blame 
lay with him only, not with his wretch- 
ed fubjed:s,fo that it was a crying fhame 
to viflt his guilt upon the innocent peo- 
ple, but that their unjufl: oppreffion 
would be recompenfed to them by God 
hereafter. He ad;ed up to his own 
principles, and when the Black Death 
was raging in Strafburg, where it car- 
ried off 16,000 vi6tims, he was unwea- 



IntroduEiion. 



xlvii 



ried in his efforts to adminifter aid and 
confolation to the fick and dying. 

Much of Tauler's religious fervour 
and hght he himfelf attributed to the 
inflrudions of a layman, his friend. 
It is now known from contemporary 
records that this was Nicholas of Bafle, 
a citizen of that Free town and a fecret 
Waldenfian, Little is known of his 
life beyond the fa6t that he was inti- 
mately connected with many of the 
heads of this party, and was reforted to 
by them for guidance and help; for, 
being under fufpicion of herefy, he had 
to conceal all his movements from the 
Inquifition. He fucceeded, however, 
in carrying on his labours and eluding 
his enemies, until he reached an ad- 
vanced age; but at length, venturing 
alone and unprotected into France, he 
was taken, and burnt atVienne in 1382. 
Another friend of Tauler's, and like 




him an eloquent and powerful preacher, 
whofe fermons are ftill read with de- 
light, was Henry Sufo, a Dominican 
monk, belonging to a knightly family 
in Swabia. 

One of the leaders of the ''Friends 
of God,'' Nicholas of Strafburg, was in 
1326 appointed by John XXII. nuncio, 
with the overfight of the Dominican 
order throughout Germany, and dedi- 
cated to that Pope an EiTay of great 
learning and ability, refuting the pre- 
valent interpretations of Scripture, 
which referred the coming of Anti- 
chrift and the Judgment day to the 
immediate future. Thus we fee that 
the ''Friends of God'' were not con- 
fined to one political party, and this 
likewife appears from the hiftory of 
another celebrated member of this feet, 
Henry of Nordlingen, a p'rieft of Con- 
fiance, who, like Sufo, was banifhed 



IntroduSiion. xlix 

for his adherence to the Pope. One 
of the molT: remarkable men of this feet 
was a layman and married, Rulman 
Merfwin, belonging to a high family at 
Stralburg. He appears to have been 
led to a religious life by the influence 
of Tauler, who was his confeflbr. He 
is the author of feveral myftical works 
which, he fays, he wrote *^to do good 
to his fellow creatures,'' but he con- 
tributed perhaps ftill more largely to 
their benefit by his activity in charitable 
works, for he eftablifhed one hofpital 
and feems to have had the overfight of 
others alfo. He likewife gave largely 
to churches and convents, but is beft 
known by having founded a houfe for 
the Knights of St. John in Straiburg. 
The charafteriftic doctrines of the 
Friends oi God have already been in- 
dicated. That they fhould not have 
fallen into fome exaggerations was 
d 




fcarcely poffible, but where they have 
done fo, it may generally be traced to 
the influence of the monaftic life to 
which moft of them were dedicated, 
and to the perplexities of their age. 

The book before us was probably 
written fomewhere about 1350, fince it 
refers to Tauler as already well known. 
It was the pradlice of the ^* Friends of 
God/' to conceal their names as much 
as poffible when they wrote, left a delire 
for fame fhould mingle with their en- 
deavours to be ufeful. This is proba- 
bly the reafon why we have no indica- 
tion of its authorfhip beyond a preface, 
which the Wurtzburg Manufcript pof- 
fefles in common with that which was 
in Luther's hands, and from which it 
appears that the writer ^*was of the 
Teutonic order, a prieft and a warden 
in the houfe of the Teutonic order in 
Frankfort." A tranflation of this Pre- 



IntroduEiion. li 

face is prefixed to the prefent volume. 
Till the dilcovery of the Wurtzburg 
Manufcript, it was fuppofed that this 
Preface was from Luther's hand, who 
merely embodied in it the tradition 
which he had received fromfomefource 
unknown to us; and hence, fome, dif- 
regarding its authority, have afcribed 
the Theologia Germanica to Tauler, 
whofe ftyle it refembles fo much that 
it might be taken for his work, but for 
the reference to him already mentioned. 
Since however the antiquity of the 
Preface is now proved, we muft be con- 
tent with the information which it af- 
fords us, unlefs any further difcoveries 
among old manufcripts fhould throw 
frefh hght upon the fubjed:. 

Should this attempt to introduce the 
writings of the ^^ Friends of God'' in 
England, awaken an intereft in them 
and their works, the Tranflator propofes 



Hi 



IntroduEiion. 



to follow up the prefent volume with 
an account of Tauler and feleftions 
from his writings; believing that the 
ftudyof thefe German theologians, who 
were already called old in Luther's age, 
would furnilh the beft antidote to what 
of mifchief Englifh readers may have 
derived from German theology, falfely 
fo called. 



Manchefter, February ^ 1854. 



LETTER 

FROM CHEVALIER BUNSEN 
TO THE TRANSLATOR. 

77 Marina, St. Leonard*s-on-Sea, 
nth May, 1854. 

My dear Friend, 

'VT'OUR Letter and the proof flieets 
of your Tranllation of the Theo- 
logia Germanica, with Kingfley's Pre- 
face and your Introdudlion, were de- 
livered to me yefterday, as I was leav- 
ing Carlton Terrace to breathe once 
more, for a few days, the refrefhing 
air of this quiet, lovely place. You 
told me, at the time, that you had been 
led to ftudy Tauler and the Theologia 
Germanica by fome converfations which 



liv Letter to the 

we had on their fubjecfls in 1851, and 
you now wifh me to ftate to your rea- 
ders, in a few lines, what place I con- 
ceive this fchool of Germanic theology 
to hold in the general development of 
chriftian thought, and what appears to 
me to be the bearing of this work in 
particular upon the prefent dangers and 
profpedts of Chriftianity, as well as 
upon the eternal interefls of religion in 
the heart of every man and woman. 

In complying willingly with your 
requeft, I may begin by faying that, 
with Luther, I rank this ihort treatife 
next to the Bible, but unlike him, 
fhould place it before rather than after 
St. Auguftine. That fchool of pious, 
learned, and profound men of which 
this book is, as it were, the popular 
catechifm, was the Germanic counter- 
part of Romanic fcholafticifm,and more 
than the revival of that Latin theology 



which produced fo many eminent 
thinkers, from Auguftine, its father, to 
Thomas Aquinas, its laft great genius, 
whofe death did not take place until 
after the birth of Dante, who again 
was the contemporary of the Socrates of 
the Rheniih fchool, — Meifter Eckart, 
the Dominican. 

The theology of this fchool was the 
iirft proteft of the Germanic mind 
againft the Judaifm and formalifm of 
the Byzantine and medieval Churches, 
— the hollownefs of fcience to which 
fcholafticifm had led, and the rotten- 
nefs of fociety which a pompous hier- 
archy ftrove in vain to conceal, but had 
not the power nor the w^ill to correct. 
Eckart and Tauler, his pupil, brought 
religion home from fruitlefs fpecula- 
tion, and reafonings upon imaginary or 
impoffible fuppofitions, to man's own 
heart and to the underftanding of the 



Ivi Letter to the 

common people, as Socrates did the 
Greek philofophy. There is both a 
remarkable analogy and a ftriking con- 
traft between the great Athenian and 
thofe Dominican friars. Socrates did 
full juftice to the deep ethical ideas 
embodied in the eftabliflied religion of 
his country and its venerated myfteries, 
which he far preferred to the fhallow 
philofophy of the fophifts; but he dif- 
fuaded his pupils from feeking an ini- 
tiation into the myfteries, or at leaft 
from refting their convidtions and hopes 
upon them, exhorting them to rely, 
not upon the oracles of Delphi, but 
upon the oracle in their own bofom. 
The '' Friends of God,'' on the other 
hand, believing (like Dante) moft pro- 
foundly in the truth of the Chriftian re- 
ligion, on which the eftablifhed church 
of their age, notwithftanding its cor- 
ruptions, was eifentially founded, re- 



Tranjlator. Ivii 

commended fubmiffion to the ordinan- 
ces of the church as a wholefome pre- 
paratory difcipline for many minds. 
Like the faint of Athens, however, they 
fpoke plain truth to the people. To 
their difciples, and thofe who came to 
them for inftruftion, they exhibited 
the whole depth of that real chrijflian 
philofophy, which opens to the mind 
after all fcholaftic conventionalifm has 
been thrown away, and the foul liftens 
to the refponfe which Chrift's Gofpel 
and God's creation find in "a fincere 
heart and a felf-facrificing life; — a phi- 
lofophy which, confidered merely as a 
fpeculation, is far more profound than 
any fcholaftic fyftem. But, in a ftyle 
that was intelligible to all, they preach- 
ed that no fulfilment of rites and 
ceremonies, nor of fo-called religious 
duties, — in fad;, no outward works, 
however meritorious, can either give 



Iviii Letter to the 

peace to man's confcience, nor yet give 
him ftrength to bear up againft the 
temptations of profperity and the trials 
of adverfity. 

In following this courfe they brought 
the people back from hollow profeffion 
and real defpair, to the bleffings of gof- 
pel religion, while they opened to phi- 
lofophic minds a new career of thought. 
By teaching that man is juftified by 
faith, and by faith alone, they prepared 
the popular intelleftual element of the 
Reformalion ; by teaching that this 
faith has its philofophy, as fully able 
to carry convidlion to the underftand- 
ing, as faith is to give peace to the 
troubled confcience, they paved the 
way for that fpiritual philofophy of the 
mind, of which Kant laid the founda- 
tion. But they were not controverfial- 
ifts, as the Reformers of the lixteenth 
century were driven to be by their po- 



Tranjlator. lix 

fition, and not men of fcience exclu- 
fively, as the mafters of modern phi- 
lofophy in Germany were and are. 
Although moft of them friars, or lay- 
men connedted with the religious or- 
ders of the time, they were men of the 
people and men of adlion. They 
preached the faving faith to the people 
in churches, in hofpitals, in the ftreets 
and public places. In the ftrength of 
this faith, Tauler, when he had been 
already for years the univerfal objedl 
of admiration as a theologian and 
preacher through all the free cities on 
the Rhine, from Bafle to Cologne, 
humbled himfelf, and remained filent 
for the fpace of two years, after the 
myfterious layman had fhown him the 
infufficiency of his fcholaftic learning 
and preaching. In the ftrength of this 
faith, he braved the Pope's Interdid:, 
and gave the confolations of religion 



to the people of Strafburg, during the 
dreadful plague which depopulated that 
flouriihing city. For this faith, Eckart 
fuffered with patience flander and per- 
fecution, as formerly he had borne with 
meeknefs, honours and praife. For 
this faith, Nicolaus of Bafle, who fat 
down as a humble ftranger at Tauler's 
feet to become the inftrument of his 
real enlightenment, died a martyr in 
the flames. In this fenfe, the '* Friends 
of God'' were, like the Apoftles, men 
of the people and practical Chriftians, 
while as men of thought, their ideas 
contributed powerfully to the great 
efforts of the European nations in the 
fixteenth century. 

Let me, therefore, my dear friend, 
lay afide all philofophical and theologi- 
cal terms, and ftate the principle of the 
golden book which you are juft prefent- 
ing to the Englifh public, in what I 



confider, with Luther, the heft Theo- 
logical exponent, in plain Teutonic, 
thus : — 

Sin is felfifhnefs: 
Godlinefs is unfelfifhnefs: 
A godly life is the fteadfaft work- 
ing out of inward freenefs from 
felf: 
To become thus godlike is the 
bringing back of man's firft na- 
ture. 
On this laft point, — man's divine 
dignity and deftiny, — Tauler fpeaks as 
ftrongly as our author, and almoft as 
ftrongly as the Bible, Man is indeed 
to him God's own image. **As a 
fculptor," he fays fomewhere, with a 
ftriking range of mind for a monk of 
the fourteenth century, '*is faid to have 
exclaimed indignantly on feeing a rude 
block of marble, 'what a godlike beau- 
ty thou hideft!' thus God looks upon 



Ixii Letter to the 

man in whom God's own image is hid- 
den/' "We may begin/' he fays in a 
kindred paiTage, "by loving God in 
hope of reward, we may exprefs our- 
felves concerning Him in fymbols {Btl- 
der)y but we muft throw them all away, 
and much more we muft fcorn all idea 
of reward, that we may love God only 
becaufe He is the Supreme Good, and 
contemplate His eternal nature as the 
real fubftance of our own foul." 

But let no one imagine that thefe 
men, although doomed to paffivenefs 
in many refpedls, thought a contem- 
plative or monkifh life a condition of 
fpiritual Chriftianity, and not rather a 
danger to it. "If a man truly loves 
God," fays Tauler, "and has no will 
but to do God's will, the whole force 
of the river Rhine may run at him and 
will not difturb him or break his peace; 
if we find outward things a danger and 



TranJJator. Ixiii 

difturbance, it comes from our appro- 
priating to ourfelves what is God's." 
But Tauler, as well as our Author, ufes 
the ftrongeft language to exprefs his 
horror of Sin, man's own creation, and 
their view on this fubjed; forms their 
great contraft to the philofophers of the 
Spinoziftic fchool. Among the Re- 
formers, Luther ilands neareft to them, 
with refped: to the great fundamental 
points of theological teaching, but their 
intenfe dread of Sin as a rebellion 
againft God, is fhared both by Luther 
and Calvin. Among later theologians, 
Julius Miiller, in his profound Effay on 
Sin, and Richard Rothe, in his great 
work on Chriftian Ethics, come neareft 
to them in depth of thought and ethi- 
cal earneftnefs, and the firft of thefe 
eminent writers carries out, as it ap- 
pears to me^ moft confiftently that fun- 
damental truth of the Theologia Ger- 



Ixiv Letter to the 

manica that there is no fin but Selfifh- 
nefs, and that all SelfiQinefs is fin. 

Such appear to me to be the char- 
adleriftics of our book and of Tauler. 
I may be allowed to add, that this fmall 
but golden Treatife has been now for 
almoft forty years, an unfpeakable com- 
fort to me and to many Chriftian friends 
(moft of whom have already departed 
in peace), to whom I had the happinefs 
of introducing it. May it in your ad- 
mirably faithful and lucid tranflation 
become a real *^book for the million'* 
in England, a privilege which it alrea- 
dy fhares in Germany with Tauler's 
matchlefs Sermons, of which I rejoice 
to hear that you are making a feledlion 
for publication. May it become a 
bleffing to many a longing Chriftian 
heart in that dear country of yours, 
which I am on the point of leaving, 
after many happy years of refidence, 



but on which I can never look as a 
ftrange land to me, any more than I 
fhall ever conlider myfelf as a ftranger 
in that home of old Teutonic liberty 
and energy, which I have found to be 
alfo the home of Practical Chriftianity 
and of warm and faithful affedlion. 

BUNSEN. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

Page 

Chap. I. — Of that which is perfe6l and that which 
is in part, and how that which is in part is 
done away, when that which is perfe6t is come i 

Chap. II. — Of what Sin is, and how we are not to 
take unto ourfelves any good Thing, feeing 
that it belongeth unto the true Good alone , 6 

Chap. III. — How Man's Fall and his going aftray 

muft be healed as Adam's Fall was healed , 7 

Chap. IV. — How Man, when he claimeth any 
good Thing for his own, falleth, and toucheth 
God in his honour 10 

Chap. V. — How we are to take that Saying, that 
we muft come to be without Wifdom, Will, 
Love, Defire, Knowledge, and the like , . 11 

Chap. VI, — ^How that which is beft and nobleft 
fhpuld alfo be loved above all Things by us, 
merely becaufe it is the beft 15 

Chap. VII. — Of the Eyes of the Spirit, wherewith 
Man' looketh into Eternity and into Time, 
and how the one is hindered of the other in its 
working • . . 18 

Chap. VIII. — How the Soul of Man, while it is 
yet in the Body, may obtain a Foretafte of 
eternal BlefTednefs ...•*..•• »i 



Chap. IX. — How it is better and more profitable 
for a Man that he fhould perceive what God 
will do with him, and to what end He will 
make ufe of him, than if he knew all that 
God had ever wrought, or would ever work 
through all the Creatures ; and how Blelfednefs 
lieth alone in God, and not in the Creatures, 
or in any Works. 24 

Chap. X. — How the perfeft Men have no other 
Defire than that they may be to the Eternal 
Goodnefs what his Hand is to a Man : and 
how they have loft the Fear of Hell, and Hope 
of Heaven 28 

Chap. XI. — How a righteous Man in this prefent 
Time is brought into Hell, and there cannot 
be comforted, and how he is taken out of Hell 
and carried into Heaven, and there cannot be 
troubled 32 

Chap. XII. — ^Touching that True, inward Peace, 

which Chrift left to his Difciples at the laft . 37 

Chap. XIII. — How a man may caft afide images 

too foon 4.0 

Chap. XIV.— Of three Stages by which a Man is 
led upwards till he attaineth true Perfeftion . 

Chap. XV. — How all Men are dead in Adam and 
made alive in Chrift, and of true Obedience 
and Difobedience 

Chap. XVI.— Telleth us what is the old Man, 

and what is the new Man ..,.*•. 47 

Chap. XVII. — How we are not to take unto our- 
felves what we have done well, but only what 
we have done amiis 54 



42 



44 



Ixviii 



Co?2tents. 



Chap. XVIII.—How the Life of Chrift is the 
nobleft and beft Life that ever hath been or can 
be, and how a carelefs Life of falfe Freedom is 
the worft Life that can be 57 

Chap. XIX. — How we cannot come to the true 
Light and Chrift's Life, by much Quellioning 
or Reading, or by high natural Skill and Rea- 
fon, but by truly renouncing ourfelves and all 
Things 60 

Chap. XX. — How, feeing that the Life of Chrift 
is moft bitter to Nature and Self, Nature will 
have none of it, and choofeth a falfe carelefs 
Life, as is moft convenient to herfelf ... 62 

Chap. XXI.— How a Friend of Chrift willingly 
fuifilleth by his outward Works, fuch Things 
as muft be and ought to be, and doth not con- 
cern himfelf with the reft 64 

Chap. XXII. — How fometimes the Spirit of God, 
and fometimes alfo the Evil Spirit may poflefs 
a Man and have the Maftery over him ... (>(> 

Chap. XXIII— How he who will fubmit himfelf 
to God and be obedient to Him, muft be ready 
to bear with all'Thingsj to wit, God, himfelf, 
and all Creatures, and muft be obedient to them 
all, whether he have to fuffer or to do . . . 70 

Chap. XXIV. — How that four Things are needful 
before a Man can receive divine Tmth and be 
poflefled with the Spirit of God 73 

Chap. XXV. — Of two evil Fmits that do fpring 
up from the Seed of the Evil Spirit, and are 
two Sifters vvho love to dwell together. The 
one is called fpiritual Pride and Tlighminded- 
nefs, and the other is falfe, lawlefs Freedom 76 



Contents. Ixix 



Page 

Chap. XXVI. — Touching Poomefs of Spirit and 
true Humility, and whereby we may difcern the 
true and lawful free Men, whom the Truth 
hath made free 80 

Chap. XXVII. — How we are to take Chrift's 
Words when he bade us forfake all Things; 
and wherein the Union with the Divine Will 
ftandeth 89 

Chap. XXVIII. — How, after a Union with the 
Divine Will, the inward Man ftandeth im- 
moveable, but the outward Man is moved 
hither and thither .* . . . 91 

Chap. XXIX. — How a Man may not attain fo 
high before Death as not to be touched and 
moved by outward Things 93 

Chap. XXX. — On what wife we may come to be 
beyond and above all Cuftom, Order, Law, 
Precepts, and the like 96 

Chap. XXXI. — How we are not to caft off the 
Life of Chrift, but pra6life it diligently, and 
walk in it until Death 99 

Chap. XXXII. — How God is a true, fimple, per- 
itdi Good, and how He is a Light and a Rea- 
fon and all Virtues, and how what is higheft 
and beft, that is, God, ought to be moft loved 
by us 102 

Chap. XXXIII. — How when a Man is made truly 
godlike, his Love is pure and unmixed, and he 
loveth all Creatures, and doth his beft for them 107 

Chap. XXXIV. — How that if a Man will attain 
unto that which is beft, he muft forfwear his 
own Will 5 and how he who helpeth a Man 



Ixx 



Contents. 



Page 
to his own Will helpeth him to the worll 
Thing he can • . no 

Chap. XXXV.— How there is deep and true Hu- 
mility and Poornefs of Spirit in a Man who is 
made a Partaker of the Divine Nature . . . 113 

Chap. XXXVI — How nothing is contrary to God 

but Sin only ; and what Sin is in Kind and A6t 116 

Chap. XXXVII.— How in God, as God, there 
can neither be Grief, Sorrow, Difpleafure, nor 
the like, but how it is otherwife with a Man 
who is made a Partaker of the Divine Nature 119 

Chap. XXXVIII. — How we are to put on the Life 
of Chrift from Love, and not for the fake of 
Reward, and how we muft never grow carelefs 
concerning it, or caft it off 122 

Chap. XXXIX.— How God will have Order, Cuf- 
tom, Meafure, and the like in the Creature, 
feeing that he cannot have them without the 
Creature, and of four forts of Men who are 
concerned with this Order, Law and Cuftom • 125 

Chap. XL. — A good Account of the Falfe Light 

and its Kind 129 

Chap. XLI. — How he that is to be called and is 
truly a Partaker of the Divine Nature, who is 
illuminated with the Divine Light, and inflam- 
ed with Eternal Love, and how Light and 
Knowledge are worth nothing without Love . 141 

Chap. XLII. — A Queftion: whether it be poffible 
to know God and not love Him 5 and how 
there are two kinds of Light and Love, a true 
and a falfe 14.5 



Contents. Ixxi 



Page 

Chap. XLIII. — Whereby we may know a Man 
who is a Partaker of the Divine Nature, and 
what belongeth unto him ; and further, what 
is the token of a Falfe Light and a Falfe Free- 
Thinker •iSi 

Chap. XLIV. — How nothing is contrary to God 
but Self-will, and how he who feeketh his own 
Good for his own fake findeth it not j and how 
a Man of himfelf neither knoweth nor can do 
any good Thing i6o 

Chap. XLV. — How that where there is a Chriftian 
life, Chrift dwelleth, and how Chrift's Life is 
the beft and moft admirable Life that ever hath 
been or can be ^ 164 

Chap. XL VI. — -How entire Satisfa6tion and true 
Reft are to be found in God alone, and not in 
any Creature \ and how he who will be obedient 
to God, muft be obedient to the Creatures with 
all Quietnefs, and he who would love God, 
muft love all Things in One 166 

Chap. XLVII.—A Queftion: Whether if we 
ought to love all Things, we ought to love Sin 
alfo ? 169 

Chap, XLVIII. — How we muft believe certain 
Things of God's Truth beforehand, ere we can 
come to a True Knowledge and Experience 
thereof 171 

Chap. XLIX — Of Self-will, and how Lucifer and 

Adam fell away from God through Self-will . 172 

Chap. L. — How this prefent Time is a Paradlfe 
and Outer Court of Heaven, and how therein 



Ixxii 



Contents. 



Page 
there is only one Tree forbidden, that is, Self- 
will 173 

Chap. LI. — Wherefore God hath created Self-will, 

feeing that it is fo contrary to Him . , . . 175 

Chap. LII. — How we muft take that Saying of 
Chrifl- : " No Man cometh unto the Father but 
by me'' • . • 187 

Chap. LIII. — Confidereth that other Saying of 
Chrift: "No man can come unto me except 
the Father which hath fent me draw him" , 191 

Chap. LIV. — ^How a Man (hall not feek his own, 
cither in Things fpiritual or natural, but the 
Honour of God only 5 and how he muft enter 
in by the right Door, to wit, by Chrift, into 
Eternity , . • • 199 




Theologia Germanica, 



CHAPTER I. 

Of that which is perfect and that which is 
in party and how that which is in part is 
done away^ when that which is perfe^ is 
come. 

OT. PAUL faith, ^' When that which 
*^is perfedt is come, then that which 
is in part fhall be done away/'^ Now 
mark what is ^* that which is perfed:,*' 
and *'that which is in part/' 

*^That which is perfedl" is a Being, 
who hath comprehended and included 
all things in Himfelf and His own Sub- 
jftance, and without whom, and befide 
whom, there is no true Subftance, and 

* I Cor. xiii. lo. 



' I 



2 Theologia Germantca. 

in whom all things have their Sub ftance. 
For he is the Subftance of all things, 
and is in Himfelf unchangeable and 
immoveable, and changeth and moveth 
all things elfe. But ^^ that which is in 
part,'' or the imperfedl, is that which 
hath its fource in, or fpringeth from 
the Perfedt; juil: as a brightnefs or a 
viiible appearance floweth out from the 
fun or a candle, and appeareth to be 
fomewhat this or that. And it is called 
a creature; and of all thefe *' things 
which are in part,'' none is the Perfed:. 
So alfo the Per fed: is none of the 
things which are in part. The things 
which are in part can be apprehended, 
known, and expreffed; but the Perfed 
cannot be apprehended, known, or 
expreffed by any creature as creature. 
Therefore we do not give a name to 
the Perfed, for it is none of thefe. 
The creature as creature cannot know 
nor apprehend it, name nor conceive it. 
^* Now when that which is Perfed 



Theologia Germanka. 3 

is come, then that which is in part 
fhall be done away/' But when doth 
it come? I fay, when as much as may 
be, it is known, felt and tailed of the 
foul. [For the lack lieth altogether 
in us, and not in it. In like manner 
the fun lighteth the whole world, and 
is as near to one as another, yet a blind 
man feeth it not ; but the fault thereof 
lieth in the blind man, not in the fun. 
And like as the fun may not hide its 
brightnefs, but muft give light unto 
the earth (for heaven indeed draweth 
its light and heat from another foun- 
tain), fo alfo God, who is the higheft 
Good, willeth not to hide Himfelf 
from any, wherefoever He iindeth a 
devout foul, that is thoroughly purified 
from all creatures. For in what meaf- 
ure we put off the creature, in the fame 
meafure are we able to put on the 
Creator ; neither more nor lefs. For 
if mine eye is to fee anything, it muft 
be fingle, or elfe be purified from all 



4 Theologia Germanica. 

other things ; and where heat and 
light enter in, cold and darknefs muft 
needs depart; it cannot be other wife.] 
But one might fay, **Now fince the 
Perfed: cannot be known nor appre- 
hended of any creature, but the foul is 
a creature, how can it be known by 
the foul ?'' Anfwer : This is why we 
fay, ^^ by the foul as a creature. ^' We 
mean it is impoflible to the creature in 
virtue of its creature-nature and quali- 
ties, that by which it faith ^^ I '' and 
*^ myfelf/' For in whatfoever creature 
the Perfedlihall be known, therein crea- 
ture-nature, qualities, the I, the Self and 
the like,muft all be loft and done away. 
This is the meaning of that faying of 
St. Paul : ^^ When that which is perfecft 
is come,'' (that is, when it is known,) 
^' then that which is in part '' (to wit, 
creature-nature, qualities, the I, the Self, 
the Mine) will be defpifed and counted 
for nought. So long as we think much 
of thefe things, cleave to them with 



i 



Theologia Germanica. 5 

love, joy, pleafure or defire, fo long re- 
maineth the Perfedl unknown to us. 

But it might further be faid, ^^Thou 
fayest, befide the Perfe6l there is no Sub- 
ftance, yet fayefl: again that fomewhat 
floweth out from it : now is not that 
which hath flowed out from it, fome- 
thing befide it?" Anfwer: This is why 
we fay, belide it, or without it, there 
is no true Subftance. That which hath 
flowed forth from it, is no true Sub- 
fiance, and hath no Subfl:ance except 
in the perfedt, but is an accident, or a 
brightnefs,or a vifible appearance,which 
is no Subftance, and hath no Subfl:ance 
except in the fire whence thebrightnefs 
flowed forth, fuch as the fun or a candle. 



6 Theologia Germanica. 



CHAP. 11. 

Of what Sin isy and how we muji not take 
unto our/elves any good ^hingy feeing that 
it helongeth unto the true Good alone. 

^T^HE Scripture and the Faith and 
^ the Truth fay, Sin is nought 
elfe, but that the • creature turneth 
away from the unchangeable Good 
and betaketh itfelf to the changeable ; 
that is to fay, that it turneth away from 
the Perfed:, to *^that which is in part'^ 
and imperfedl, and moll often to itfelf. 
Now mark : when the creature claim- 
eth for its own anything good, fuch as 
Sub fiance. Life, Knowledge, Power, 
and in Ihort whatever we fhould call 
good, as if it were that, or pofTefTed 
that, or that were itfelf, or that pro- 
ceeded from it, — as often as this Com- 
eth to pafs, the creature goeth aftray . 
What did the devil do elfe, or what 



Theologia G^ 



rermamca. 



was his going aftray and his fall elfe, 
but that he claimed for himfelf to be 
alfo fomewhat, and would have it that 
fomewhat was his, and fomewhat was 
due to him? This fetting up of a claim 
and his I and Me and Mine, thefe were 
his going aftray, and his fall. And 
thus it is to this day. 



CHAP. III. 

How Man's Fall and going aftray muft be 
amended as Adam's Fall was. 

TlZhat elfe did Adam do but this 

fame thing? It is faid, it was 

becaufe Adam ate the apple that he 

.was loft, or fell. I fay, it was becaufe 

of his claiming fomething for his own, 

and becaufe of his I, Mine, Me, and 

the like. Had he eaten feven apples, 

and yet never claimed anything for his 

own, he would not have fallen: but 

as foon as he called fomething his own, 

f 



8 Theologia Germanica. 

he fell, and would have fallen if he 
had never touched an apple. Behold! 
I have fallen a hundred times more 
often and deeply, and gone a hundred 
times farther aftray than Adam; and 
not all mankind could amend his fall, 
or bring him back from going aftray. 
But how ihall my fall be amended ? 
It muft be healed as Adam's fall was 
healed, and on the felf-fame wife. By 
whom, and on what wife was that 
healing brought to pafs ? Mark this : 
man could not without God, and God 
fhould not without man. Wherefore 
God took human nature or manhood 
upon himfelf and was made man, and 
man was made divine. Thus the heal- 
ing was brought to pafs. So alfo muft 
my fall be healed. I cannot do the 
work without God, and God may not 
or will not without me ; for if it fhall 
be accomplifhed, in me, too, God muft 
be made man; in fuch fort that God 
muft^take to himfelf all that is in me. 



Theologia Germanica. 9 

within and without, {o that there may- 
be nothing in me which lliriveth againft 
God or hindereth his work. Now if 
jGod took to himfelf all men that are 
in the world, or ever were, and were 
made man in them, and they were made 
divine in him, and this work were not 
fulfilled in me, my fall and my wander- 
ing would never be amended except it 
were fulfilled in me alfo. And in this 
bringing back and healing, I can, or 
may, or fhall do nothing of myfelf, but 
juft simply yield to God, fo that He 
alone may do all things in me and work, 
and I may fufi'er him and all his work 
and his divine will. And becaufe I 
will not do fo, but I count myfelf to be 
my own, and fay, **I," ^^mine,'' ^^me'^ 
and the like, God is hindered, fo that 
he cannot do his work in me alone and 
without hindrance ; for this caufe my 
fall and my going aftray remain un- 
healed. Behold ! this all cometh of 
my claiming fomewhat for my own. 



[o 'Theologia Germanka, 



CHAP. IV. 

How Marty when he claimeth any good Thing 
for his own^ falleth^ and toucheth God in 
his Honour^ 

OD faith, " I will not give my 
glory to another/' ^^ This is as 
much as to fay, that praife and honour 
and glory belong to none but to God 
only. But now, if I call any good 
thing my own, as if I were it, or of 
myfelf had power or did or knew any- 
thing, or as if anything were mine or 
of me, or belonged to me, or were due 
to me or the like, I take unto myfelf 
fomewhat of honour and glory, and 
do two evil things : Firft, I fall and 
go aftray as aforefaid: Secondly, I 
touch God in his honour and take 
unto myfelf what belongeth to God 

* Ifalah, xlii. 8. 



Theologia Ger7nanica. 1 1 

only. For all that muft be called good 
belongeth to none but to the true eter- 
nal Goodnefs which is God only, and 
whofo taketh it unto himfelf, com- 
mitteth unrighteoufnefs and is againfl 
God. 



CHAP. V. 

How we are to take that Sayings that we mufi 
come to be without JVilly JVifdomy Lovey 
DeftrCy Knowledge y and the like. 

/CERTAIN men fay that we ought 
^ to be without will, wifdom, love, 
defire, knowledge, and the like. Here- 
by is not to be underftood that there is 
to be no knowledge in man, and that 
God is not to be loved by him, nor 
defired and longed for, nor praifed and 
honoured; for that were a great lofs, 
and man were like the beafts [and as 
the brutes that have no reafon.] But 
it meaneth that man's knowledge 



12 Theologia Germanica. 

fhould be fo clear and perfed: that he 
fhould acknowledge of a truth [that 
in himfelf he neither hath nor can do 
any good thing, and that none of his 
knowledge, wifdom and art, his will, 
love and good works do come from 
himfelf, nor are of man, nor of any 
creature, but] that all thefe are of the 
eternal God, from whom they all pro- 
ceed. [As Chrift himfelf faith, *^ With- 
out me, ye can do nothing/'^ St. 
Paul. faith alfo, ''What haft thou that 
thou haft not received ?"*f' As much 
as to fay — nothing. ''Now if thou 
didft receive it, why doft thou glory as 
if thou hadft not received it?'' Again 
he faith, "Not that we are fufficient 
of ourfelves to think anything as of 
ourfelves, but our fufficiency is of 
God.'' X\ Now when a man duly per- 
ceiveth thefe things in himfelf, he and 
the creature fall behind, and he doth 
not call anything his own, and the lefs 

• John XV. 5. f X Cor. iv. 7. J 2 Cor. iii. 5. 



he taketh this knowledge unto him- 
felf, the more perfed: doth it become. 
So alfo is it with the will, and love 
and delire, and the like. For the lefs 
we call thefe things our own, the more 
perfedl and noble and godlike do they 
become, and the more we think them 
our own, the bafer and lefs pure and 
perfedl do they become. 

Behold on this fort muft we caft all 
things from us, and flrip ourfelves of 
them; we muft refrain from claiming 
anything for our own. When we do 
this, we fhall have the beft, fuHeft, 
cleareft and noblefl: knowledge that a 
man can have, and alfo the noblcft and 
pureft love, will and deiire; for then 
thefe will be all of God alone. It is 
much better that they fhould be God's 
than the creature's. Now that I afcribe 
anything good to myfelf, as if I were, 
or had done, or knew, or could perform 
any good thing, or that it were mine, 
this is all of fin and folly. For if the 



14 Theologia Germanica. 

truth were rightly known by me, I 
fhould alfo know that I am not that 
good thing and that it is not mine, nor 
of me, and that I do not know it, and 
cannot do it, and the hke. If this 
came to pafs, I fhould needs ceafe to 
call anything my own. 

It is better that God, or his works, 
fhould be known, as far as it be pofH- 
ble to us, and loved, praifed and ho- 
noured, and the like, and even that man 
fhould but vainly imagine he loveth 
or praifeth God, than that God fhould 
be altogether unpraifed, unloved, un- 
honoured and unknown. For when 
the vain imagination and ignorance 
are turned into an underflanding and 
knowledge of the truth, the claiming 
anything for our own will ceafe of it- 
felf. Then the man fays: *^ Behold! 
I, poor fool that I was, imagined it 
was I, but behold! it is, and was, of a 
truth, God!" 



CHAP. VI. 

How that which is heft and nobleft ftiould alfo 
be loved above all Things by uSy merely be- 
cauje it is the beft. 

A MASTER called Boetius faith, 
"It is of fin that we do not love 
that which is beft. He hath fpoken 
the truth. That which is beft fhould 
be the deareft of all things to us; and 
in our love of it, neither helpfulnefs 
nor unhelpfulnefs, advantage nor inju- 
ry, gain nor lofs, honour nor dishonour, 
praife nor blame, nor anything of the 
kind {hould be regarded; but what is 
in truth the nobleft and beft of all 
things, fhould be alfo the deareft of 
all things, and that for no other caufe 
than that it is the nobleft and beft. 

Hereby may a man order his life 
within and without. His outward 



J' 



iffl 



1 6 Theologia Germanica. 

life: for among the creatures one is 
better than another, according as the 
Eternal Good manifefteth itfelf and 
worketh more in one than in another. 
Now that creature in which the Eter- 
nal Good moil manifefteth itfelf, fhi- 
neth forth, worketh, is moft known 
and loved, is the beft, and that where- 
in the Eternal Good is leaft manifefted 
is the leail: Good of all creatures. 
Therefore when we have to do with 
the creatures, and hold converfe with 
them, and take note of their diverfe 
qualities, the beft creatures muft al- 
ways be the deareft to us, and we muft 
cleave to them, and unite ourfelves to 
them, above all to thofe which we 
attribute to God as belonging to him 
or divine, fuch as wifdom, truth, kind- 
nefs, peace, love, juftice, and the like. 
Hereby fhall we order our outward 
man, and all that is contrary to thefe 
virtues we muft efchew and flee from. 
But if our inward man were to make 



Theologia Germanica. 17 

a leap and fpring into the Perfedl, we 
fhould find and tafte how that the Per- 
fed: is without meafure, number or 
end, better and nobler than all which 
is imperfedl and in part, and the Eter- 
nal above the temporal or perifhable, 
and the fountain and fource above all 
that floweth or can ever flow from it. 
Thus that which is imperfed: and in 
part would become taftelefs and be as 
nothing to us. Be afliired of this: All 
that we have faid muft come to pafs 
if we are to love that which is nobleft, 
higheft and beft. 



i8 "Theologia Germanica. 



CHAP. VII. 

Of the Eyes of the Spirit wherewith Man 
looketh into Eternity and into Time, and 
how the one is hindered of the other in its 
Working. 

T ET us remember how it is written 
^ and faid that the foul of Chrift had 
two eyes, a right and a left eye. In 
the beginning, when the foul of Chrift 
was created, fhe fixed her right eye 
upon eternity and the Godhead, and 
remained in the full intuition and en- 
joyment of the Divine EiTence and 
Eternal Perfedlion; and continued thus 
unmoved and undifturbed by all the 
accidents and travail, fuffering, torment 
and pain that ever befell the outward 
man. But with the left eye fhe beheld 
the creature and perceived all things 
therein, and took note of the difference 



Theologia Germanica. 19 

between the creatures, which were 
better or worfe, nobler or meaner; 
and thereafter was the outward man 
of Chrift ordered. 

Thus the inner man of Chrift, ac- 
cording to the right eye of his foul, 
ftood in the full exercife of his divine 
nature, in perfedl bleffednefs, joy and 
eternal peace. But the outward man 
and the left eye of Chrift's foul, ftood 
with him in perfedt fuffering, in all 
tribulation, afflicftion and travail ; and 
this in fuch fort that the inward and 
right eye remained unmoved, unhin- 
dered and untouched by all the travail, 
fuffering, grief and anguifh that ever 
befell the outward man. It hath been 
faid that when Chrift was bound to the 
pillar and fcourged, and when he hung 
upon the crofs, according to the out- 
ward man, yet his inner man, or foul 
according to the right eye, ftood in as 
full poffeffion of divine joy and bleffed- 
nefs as it did after his afceniion, or as 



20 Theologia Germanica. 

it doth now- In like manner his out- 
ward man, or foul with the left eye, 
was never hindered, difturbed or trou- 
bled by the inward eye in its contem- 
plation of the outward things that 
belonged to it. 

Now the created foul of man hath 
alfo two eyes. The one is the power 
of feeing into eternity, the other of 
feeing into time and the creatures, of 
perceiving how they differ from each 
other as aforefaid, of giving life and 
needful things to the body, and order- 
ing and governing it for the beft. But 
thefe two eyes of the foul of man can- 
not both perform their work at once ; 
but if the foul fhall fee with the right 
eye into eternity, then the left eye muft 
clofe itfelf and refrain from working, 
and be as though it were dead. For 
if the left eye be fulfilling its office 
toward outward things; that is, hold- 
ing converfe with time and the crea- 
tures ; then muft the right eye be hin- 



"Theologia Ger7?tanica. 2 1 

dered in its working; that is, in its 
contemplation. Therefore whofoever 
will have the one muft let the other 
go; for ^^no man can ferve two maf- 
ters." 



CHAP. VIII. 

How the Soul of Marty while it is yet in the 
Bodyy may obtain a foretajie of eternal 

Blejfednefs. 



I 



T hath been afked whether it be 
poffible for the foul, while it is yet 
in the body, to reach fo high as to caft 
a ^glance into eternity, and receive a 
foretafte of eternal life and eternal 
bleffednefs. This is commonly denied ; 
and truly fo in a fenfe. For it indeed 
cannot be (o long as the foul is taking 
heed to the body, and the things which 
minifter and appertain thereto, and to 
time and the creature, and is difturbed 
and troubled and diftrad:ed thereby. 



22 "Theologia Germanica. 

For if the foul fhall rife to fuch a ftate, 
fhe muft be quite pure, wholly ftripped 
and bare of all images, and be entirely 
feparate from all creatures, and above 
all from herfelf. Now many think 
this is not to be done and is impoffible 
in this prefent time. But St. Dyony- 
fius maintains that it is poflible, as we 
find from his words in his Epiftle to 
Timothy, where he faith: ^*For the 
beholding of the hidden things of God, 
fhalt thou forfake fenfe and the things 
of the fleih, and all that the fenfes can 
apprehend, and that reafon of her own 
powers can bring forth, and all things 
created and uncreated that reafon is 
able to comprehend and know, and 
{halt take thy ftand upon an utter 
abandonment of thyfelf, and as know- 
ing none of the aforefaid things, and 
enter into union with him who is, and 
who is above all exiftence and all 
knowledge.'' Now if he did not hold 
this to be poffible in this prefent time. 



'Theologia Gennanica. 23 

why fhould he teach it and enjoin it 
on us in this prefent time? But it 
behoveth you to know that a mafter 
hath faid on this paflage of St. Dy- 
onyiius, that it is poffible, and may 
happen to a man often, till he become 
io accuftomed to it, as to be able to 
look into eternity v/henever he will. 
[For when a thing is at iirft very hard 
to a man and ftrange, and feemingly 
quite impofiible, if he put all his 
ftrength and energy into it, and per- 
fevere therein, that will afterward grow 
quite light and eafy, which he at firft 
thought quite out of reach, feeing that 
it is of no ufe to begin any work, un- 
lefs it may be brought to a good end.] 
And a iingle one of thefe excellent 
glances is better, worthier, higher and 
more pleaiing to God, than all that the 
creature can perform as a creature. 
[And as foon as a man turneth him- 
felf in fpirit, and with his whole heart 
and mind entereth into the mind of 




God which is above time, all that ever 
he hath loft is reftored in a moment. 
And if a man were to do thus a thou- 
fand times in a day, each time a frefh 
and real union would take place ; and 
in this fweet and divine work ftandeth 
the trueil and fulleft union that may 
be in this prefent time. For he who 
hath attained thereto, afketh nothing 
further, for he hath found the Kingdom 
of Heaven and Eternal Life on earth.] 



CHAP. IX. 

How it is better and more 'profitable for a 
Man that he fhould perceive what God 
will do with hifUy or to what end He will 
make Ufe of him^ than if he knew all that 
God had ever wrought^ or would ever work 
through all the Creatures ; and how Blejf- 
ednefs lieth alone in Gody and not in the 
Creatures y or in any IVorks. 

117E fhould mark and know of a 

very truth that all manner of 

virtue and goodnefs, and even that 



"Theologia Germanica. 25 

Eternal Good which is God Himfelf, 
can never make a man virtuous, good, 
or happy, fo long as it is outiide the 
foul ; [that is, fo long as the man is 
holding converfe with outward things 
through his fenfes and reafon, and doth 
not withdraw into himfelf and learn to 
underfland his own life, who and what 
he is.] The like is true of lin and 
evil. [For all manner of fm and wick- 
ednefs can never make us evil, fo long 
as it is outfide of us ; that is, fo long 
as we do not commit it, or do not give 
confent to it.] 

Therefore although it be good and 
profitable that we fhould afk, and learn 
and know what good and holy men 
have wrought and fufFered, and how 
God hath dealt with them, and what 
he hath wrought in and through them, 
yet it were a thoufand times better that 
we fhould in ourfelves learn and per- 
ceive and understand, who we are, how 
and what our own life is, what God is 



26 Theologia Germanka. 

and is doing in us, what he will have 
from us, and to what ends he will or 
will not make ufe of us. [For, of a 
truth, thoroughly to know onefelf, is 
above all art, for it is the higheft art. 
If thou knoweil thyfelf well, thou art 
better and more praifeworthy before 
God, than if thou didfl not know thy- 
felf, but didfl: underfland the courfe of 
the heavens and of all the planets and 
ftars, alfo the virtue of all herbs, and 
the ftrudlure and difpolitions of all 
mankind, alfo the nature of all beafts, 
and, in fuch matters, hadft all the fkill 
of all who are in heaven and on earth. 
For it is faid, there came a voice from 
heaven, faying, ^^Man, know thyfelf. "J 
Thus that proverb is ftill true, ^^ going 
out were never fo good, but ftaying at 
home were much better." 

Further, ye ifhould learn that eternal 
bleffednefs lieth in one thing alone, and 
in nought elfe. And if ever man or 
the foul is to be made bleffed, that one 



Theologia Germanica. 27 

thing alone muft be in the foul. Now 
fome might aik, ^^But what is that 
one thing?" I anfwer, it is Goodnefs, 
or that which hath been made good, 
and yet neither this good nor that, 
which we can name, or perceive or 
fhow; but it is all and above all good 
things. 

Moreover, it needeth not to enter 
into the foul, for it is there already, 
only it is unperceived. When we fay 
we fhould come unto it, we mean that 
we fhould feek it, feel it, and tafte it. 
And now iince it is One, unity and 
finglenefs is better than manifoldnefs. 
For bleffednefs lieth not in much and 
many, but in One and onenefs. In one 
word, bleifednefs lieth not in any crea- 
ture, or work of the creatures, but it 
lieth alone in God and in his works. 
Therefore I muft wait only on God 
and his work, and leave on one fide all 
creatures with their works, and firft of 
all myfelf. In like manner all the great 



2 8 'Theolo^ia Germanica. 

works and wonders that God has ever 
wrought or fliall ever work in or 
tlirough the creatures, or even God 
hinilelf with all his goodness, fo far as 
thefe things exifl: or are done outfide 
of me, can never make me hlefl'ed, but 
only in fo far as they exift and are done 
and loved, known, tafled and felt with- 
in me. 



CHAP. X. 

Hgw the perfett Men have no other Deftre 
than that they may be to the Eternal Good- 
nefs what his Hand is to a Man^ and how 
they have lofi the Fear of Hell^ and Hope 
of Heaven. 

XjrOW let us mark : Where men 
are enlightened with the true 
light, they perceive that all which 
th.ey might defn-e or choofe, is nothing 
to that which all creatures, as crea- 
tures, ever defired or chofe or knew. 
Therefore they renounce all defire and 



1 



"Theologia Ger7nanica. 29 

choice, and commit and commend 
themfelves and all things to the Eter- 
nal Goodnefs. Neverthelefs, there 
remaineth in them a defire to go for- 
ward and get nearer to the Eternal 
Goodnefs; that is, to come to a clearer 
knowledge, and warmer love, and more 
comfortable affurance, and perfed: obe- 
dience and fubjeftion ; fo that every 
enlightened man could fay : ^^I would 
fain be to the Eternal Goodnefs, what 
his own hand is to a man." And he 
feareth always that he is not enough 
fo, and longeth for the falvation of all 
men. And fuch men do not call this 
longing their own, nor take it unto 
themfelves, for they know well that 
this delire is not of man, but of the 
Eternal Goodnefs ; for whatfoever is 
good fhall no one take unto himfelf as 
his own, feeing that it belongeth to 
the Eternal Goodnefs only. 

Moreover, thefe men are in a ftate 
of freedom, becaufe they have loft the 



30 Theologia Ger7?ta?^ica. 

fear of pain or hell, and the hope of 
reward or heaven, but are living in 
pure fubmiffion to the Eternal Good- 
nefs, in the perfed: freedom of fervent 
love. This mind vv^as in Chrift in 
perfection, and is alfo in his followers, 
in fome more and in fome lefs. But 
it is a forrow and ihame to think that 
the Eternal Goodnefs is ever moft gra- 
cioufly guiding and drawing us, and 
we will not yield to it. What is bet- 
ter and nobler than true poornefs in 
fpirit ? Yet when that is held up be- 
fore us, we will have none of it, but 
are always feeking ourfelves, and our 
own things. [We like to have our 
mouths always filled with good things,] 
that we may have in ourfelves a lively 
tafte of pleafure and fweetnefs. When 
this is fo, we are well pleafed, and 
think it ftandeth not amifs with us. 
[But we are yet a long way off from a 
perfedt life. For when God will draw 
us up to fomething higher, that is, to 



an utter lofs and forfaking of our own 
things, fpiritual and natural, and with- 
draweth his comfort and fweetnefs 
from us, we faint and are troubled, 
and can in no wife bring our minds to 
it ; and we forget God and negledt 
holy exercifes, and fancy we are loft 
for ever.] This is a great error and a 
bad lign. For a true lover of God, 
loveth him or the Eternal Goodnefs 
alike, in having, and in not having, in 
fweetnefs and bitternefs, in good or 
evil report, and the like, for he feek- 
eth alone the honour of God, and not 
his own, either in fpiritual or natural 
things. And therefore he ftandeth 
alike unfhaken in all things, at all fea- 
fons. [Hereby let every man prove 
himfelf, how he ftandeth towards God, 
his Creator and Lord.] 



32 Theologia Germanica. 



CHAP. XI. 

How a righteous Man in this prefent time is 
brought into Hell^ and there cannot be com- 
forted^ and how he is taken out of Hell 
and carried into Heaven^ and there cannot 
be troubled. 

/CHRIST'S foul muft needs defcend 
into hell, before it afcended into 
heaven. So muft alfo the foul of man. 
But mark ye in what manner this Com- 
eth to pafs. When a man truly per- 
ceiveth and conlidereth himfelf, who 
and what he is, and findeth himfelf 
utterly vile and wicked, and unworthy 
of all the comfort and kindnefs that 
he hath ever received from God, or 
from the creatures, he falleth into fuch 
a deep abafement and defpiiing of him- 
felf, that he thinketh himfelf unwor- 
thy that the earth fhould bear him, and 



T'heologia Germanka. 33 

it feemeth to him reafonable that all 
creatures in heaven and earth fhould 
rife up againfl him and avenge their 
Creator on him, and fhould punifh and 
torment him ; and that he v^ere un- 
worthy even of that. And it feemeth 
to him that he fhall be eternally lofl 
and damned, and a footftool to all the 
devils in hell, and that this is right and 
juft, [and all too little compared to his 
lins which he fo often and in fo many 
ways hath committed againfl God his 
Creator.] And therefore alfo he will 
not and dare not defire any confolation 
or releafe, either from God or from 
any creature that is in heaven or on 
earth ; but he is willing to be uncon- 
foled and unreleafed, and he doth not 
grieve over his condemnation and fuf- 
ferings; for they are right and juft, 
and not contrary to God, but accord- 
ing to the will of God. Therefore 
they are right in his eyes, and he hath 
nothing to fay againfl them. Nothing 



34 Theologta Germanica. 

grieveth him but his own guilt and 
wickednels ; for that is not right and 
is contrary to God, and for that caufe 
he is grieved and troubled in fpirit. 

This is what is meant by true re- 
pentance for fin. And he who in this 
prefent time entereth into this hell, en- 
tereth afterward into the Kingdom of 
Heaven, and obtaineth a foretafte there- 
of which excelleth all the delight and 
joy which he ever hath had or could 
have in this prefent time from tempo- 
ral things. But whilft a man is thus 
in hell, none may confole him, neither 
God nor the creature, as it is written 
*'In hell there is no redemption."* 
Of this ftate hath one faid, ^^Let me 
perifh, let me die ! I live without hope ; 
from within and from without I am 
condemned, let no one pray that I may 
be releafed.'* 

Now God hath not forfaken a man 
in this hell, but He is laying His hand 

* The writer is probably alluding to Pf. xlix. 8. 



I 



Theologia Germanica. 35 

upon him, that the man may not defire 
nor regard anything but the Eternal 
Good only, and may come to kno^v 
that that is fo noble and paffing good, 
that none can fearch out or expreis its 
blifs, confolation and joy, peace, reft, 
and fatisfadlion. And then, when the 
man neither careth for, nor feeketh 
nor defireth, anything but the Eternal 
Good alone, and feeketh not himfelf, 
nor his own things, but the honour of 
God only, he is made a partaker of 
all manner of joy, blifs, peace, reft and 
confolation, and fo the man is hence- 
forth in the Kingdom of Heaven. 

This hell and this heaven are two 
good, fafe ways for a man in this pre- 
fent time, and happy is he who truly 
findeth them. 

For this hell fhall pafs away, 
But Heaven fhall endure for aye. 

Alfo let a man mark, when he is in 
this hell, nothing may confole him : 
and he cannot believe that he fhall ever 



36 Theologta Germanica. 

be releafed or comforted. But when 
he is in heaven, nothing can trouble 
him ; he beheveth alfo that none will 
ever be able to offend or trouble him, 
albeit it is indeed true, that after this 
hell he may be comforted and releafed, 
and after this heaven he may be trou- 
bled and left without confolation. 

Again : this hell and this heaven 
come about a man in fuch fort, that he 
knoweth not whence they come ; and 
whether they come to him, or depart 
from him, he can of himfelf do nothing 
towards it. Of thefe things he can 
neither give nor take away from him- 
felf, bring them nor banifli them, but 
as it is written, *^The wind bloweth 
where it lifteth, and thou heareft the 
found thereof," that is to fay, at this 
time prefent, ^^but thou knoweft not 
whence it cometh, nor whither it go- 
eth."^ And when a man is in one of 
thefe two ftates, all is right with him, 

* John lil. 8. 



T'heologia Ger^nanka. 37 

and he is as fafe in hell as in heaven, 
and fo long as a man is on earth, it is 
poffible for him to pafs ofttimes from 
the one into the other ; nay even v^ith- 
in the fpace of a day and night, and 
all without his own doing. But when 
the man is in neither of thefe two 
ftates he holdeth converfe with the 
creature, and wavereth hither and 
thither, and knoweth not what man- 
ner of man he is. Therefore he fhall 
never forget either of them, but lay 
up the remembrance of them in his 
heart. 



CHAP. XII. 

Touching that true inward Peace^ vjhich 
Chriji left to his Difciples at the laft. 

1\/FANY fay they have no peace nor 
reft, but fo many croiTes and tri- 
als, afflictions and forrows, that they 
know not how they fhall ever get 
through them. Now he who in truth 



38 Theologia Germanica. 

will perceive and take note, perceiveth 
clearly, that true peace and reft lie not 
in outward things; for if it were fo, 
the Evil Spirit alfo would have peace 
when things go according to his will, 
[which is no wife the cafe; for the 
prophet declareth ^' There is no peace, 
faith my God, to the wicked/'*] And 
therefore we muft confider and fee 
what is that peace which Chrift left to 
his difciples at the laft, when he faid : 
''My peace I leave with you, my peace 
I give unto you/'-f- [We may per- 
ceive that in thefe words Chrift did 
not mean a bodily and outward peace ; 
for his beloved difciples, with all his 
friends and followers, have ever fufter- 
ed, from the beginning, great affliction, 
perfecution, nay, often martyrdom, as 
Chrift himfelf faid: '^In this world 
ye ftiall have tribulation/' % ^^^ Chrift 
meant that true, inward peace of the 

* Ifaiah Ivii. 21. f J^^^ ^^^' ^7- 

X John XVI. 33. 



"Theologia Germanica. 39 

heart, which beginneth here and en- 
dureth for ever hereafter. Therefore 
he faid]: ^^not as the world giveth/' 
for the world is falfe, and deceiveth in 
her gifts; [fhe promifeth much, and 
performeth little. Moreover there 
liveth no man on earth who may al- 
ways have reft and peace without trou- 
bles and croifes, with whom things 
always go according to his will ; there 
is always fomething to be fuffered here, 
turn which way thou wilt. And as 
foon as thou art quit of one aflault, 
perhaps two come in its place. Where- 
fore yield thyfelf willingly to them, 
and feek only that true peace of the 
heart, which none can take away from 
thee, that thou mayeft overcome all 
aifaults.] 

Thus then, Chrift meant that inward 
peace which can break through all 
allaults and croifes of oppreffion, fuf- 
fering, mifery, humiliation and what 
more there may be of the like, fo that 
h 



40 'Theologia Germanka. 

a man may be joyful and patient there- 
in, like the beloved difciples and fol- 
lowers of Chrift. Now he who will 
in love give his whole diligence and 
might thereto, will verily come to 
know that true eternal peace which is 
God Himfelf, as far as it is poffible to 
a creature; [infomuch that what was 
bitter to him before, fhall become 
fweet, and his heart fliall remain un- 
moved under all changes, at all times, 
and after this life, he fhall attain unto 
everlafting peace.] 



CHAP. XIII. 

How a man may caft aftde Images too Joon. 

npAULER faith: *^ there be fome 
men at the prefent time, who 
take leave of types and fymbols too 
foon, before they have drawn out all the 
truth and inftruftion contained there- 
in.*' Hence they are fcarcely or per- 



haps never able to underftand the truth 
aright.^ [For fuch men will follow 
no one, and lean unto their own un- 
derftandings, and deiire to fly before 
they are fledged. They would fain 
mount up to heaven in one flight ; al- 
beit Chrift: did not fo, for after his 
refurredlion, he remained full forty 
days with his beloved difciples. No 
one can be made perfed: in a day. A 
man muft begin by denying himfelf, 
and willingly forfaking all things for 
God's fake, and muft give up his own 
will, and all his natural inclinations, 
and feparate and cleanfe himfelf thor- 
oughly from all fins and evil ways. 
After this, let him humbly take up the 
crofs and follow Chrift. Alfo let him 
take and receive example and inftruc- 
tion, reproof, counfel and teaching from 

* Here Luther's Edition has the following paffage in- 
ftead of the remainder of this chapter : " therefore we 
fhould at all times give diligent heed to the works of God 
and his commandments, movings and admonitions, and 
not to the works or commandments or admonitions of 
men.'* 



42 Theologia Germanica. 

devout and perfedl fervants of God, and 
not follow his own guidance. Thus 
the work fhall be eftablifhed and come 
to a good end. And when a man hath 
thus broken loofe from and outleaped 
all temporal things and creatures, he 
may afterwards become perfed: in a 
life of contemplation. For he who 
will have the one muft let the other 
go. There is no other way.] 



CHAP. XIV. 

Of three Stages by which a Man is led up- 
wards till he attaineth true Perfection. 

'^TOW be aflured that no one can 
be enlightened unlefs he be firft 
cleanfed or purified and ftripped. So 
alfo, no one can be united with God 
unlefs he be firft enlightened. Thus 
there are three ftages : firft, the puri- 
fication; fecondly, the enlightening; 
thirdly, the union. [The purification 



I 



Theologia Germanka. 43 

concerneth thofe who are beginning 
or repenting, and is brought to pafs in 
a threefold wife; by contrition and 
forrow for fin, by full confeffion, by 
hearty amendment. The enlightening 
belongeth to fuch as are growing, and 
alfo taketh place in three ways: to 
wit, by the efchewal of fin, by the 
pra6tice of virtue and good works, and 
by the willing endurance of all man- 
ner of temptation and trials. The 
union belongeth to fuch as are perfeft, 
and alfo is brought to pafs in three 
ways : to wit, by purenefs and fingle- 
nefs of heart, by love, and by the con- 
templation of God, the Creator of all 
things.] 



44 Theologia Germanica. 



CHAP. XV. 

How all Men are dead in Adam and are made 
alive again in Chrijly and of true Obedience 
and Dijobedience. 

A LL that in Adam fell and died, 
was raifed again and made alive 
in Chrift, and all that rofe up and was 
made alive in Adam, fell and died in 
Chrift. But what was that? I an- 
fwer, true obedience and difobedience. 
But what is true obedience ? I anfwer, 
that a man fhould fo ftand free, being 
quit of himfelf, that is, of his I, and 
Me, and Self, and Mine, and the like, 
that in all things, he ihould no more 
feek or regard himfelf, than if he did 
not exift, and fhould take as little ac- 
count of himfelf as if he were not, 
and another had done all his works. 
Likewife he fhould count all the crea- 



"Theologia Germanica. 45 

tures for nothing. What is there then, 
which is, and which we may count 
for fomewhat? I anfwer, nothing but 
that which we may call God. Behold! 
this is very obedience in the truth, and 
thus it will be in a bleffed eternity. 
There nothing is fought nor thought 
of, nor loved, but the one thing only. 
Hereby we may mark what difobe- 
dience is : to wit, that a man maketh 
fome account of himfelf, and thinketh 
that he is, and knoweth, and can do 
fomewhat, and feeketh himfelf and his 
own ends in the things around him, 
and hath regard to and lovcth himfelf, 
and the like. Man is created for true 
obedience, and is bound of right to 
render it to God. And this obedience 
fell and died in Adam, and rofe again 
and lived in Chrift. Yea, Chrift's 
human nature was fo utterly bereft of 
Self, and apart from all creatures, as no 
man's ever was, and was nothing c\(q 
but ^^a houfe and habitation of God.'' 



46 'Theologia Germanka. 

Neither of that in him which belonged 
to God, nor of that which was a Hving 
human nature and a habitation of God, 
did he, as man, claim any thing for 
his own. His human nature did not 
even take unto himfelf the Godhead, 
whofe dwelling it was, nor any thing 
that this fame Godhead willed, or did 
or left undone in him, nor yet any 
thing of all that his human nature did 
or fufFered ; but in Chrift's human na- 
ture there was no claiming of any 
thing, nor feeking, nor delire, faving 
that what was due might be rendered 
to the Godhead, and he did not call 
this very delire his own. Of this mat- 
ter no more can be faid or written here, 
for it is unfpeakable, and was never 
yet and never will be fully uttered ; for 
it can neither be fpoken nor written 
but by Him who is and knows its 
ground ; that is, God Himfelf, who 
can do all things well. 



Theologia Germanica. \j 



CHAP. XVI. 

Telleth us what is the old Mariy and what is 
the new Man. 

A GAIN, when we read of the old 
man and the new man we muft 
mark what that meaneth. The old 
man is Adam and difobedience, the 
Self, the Me, and fo forth. But the 
new man is Chrift and true obedience, 
[a giving up and denying onefelf of all 
temporal things, and feeking the hon- 
our of God alone in all things.] And 
when dying and perifhing, and the like 
are fpoken of, it meaneth that the old 
man {hould be deftroyed, and not feek 
its own either in fpiritual or in natural 
things. For where this is brought about 
in a true divine light, there the new 
man is born again. In like manner, 
it hath been faid that man fhould die 



48 Theologia Germanica. 

unto himfelf, [that is, to earthly pleaf- 
ures, confolations, joys, appetites, the 
I, the Self, and all that is thereof in 
man, to which he clingeth and on 
which he is yet leaning with content, 
and thinketh much of. Whether it 
be the man himfelf, or any other crea- 
ture, whatever it be, it muft depart 
and die, if the man is to be brought 
aright to another mind, according to 
the truth.] 

Thereunto doth St. Paul exhort us, 
faying: ^*Put off concerning the for- 
mer converfation the old man, which 
is corrupt, according to the deceitful 
lufls: .... and that ye put 
on the new man, which after God is 
created in righteoufnefs and true holi- 
nefs.'* ^ Now he who liveth to him- 
felf after the old man, is called and is 
truly a child of Adam ; and though he 
may give diligence to the ordering of 
his life, he is flill the child and brother 

* Ephefians iv. 22. 24. 



Theologia Germanica. 49 

of the Evil Spirit. But he who hveth 
in humble obedience and in the new 
man which is Chrift, he is, in like 
manner, the brother oi Chrift and the 
child of God. 

Behold ! where the old man dieth 
and the new man is born, there is that 
fecond birth of which Chrifl: faith, 
*^ Except a man be born again, he can- 
not enter into the kingdom of God/' ^ 
Likewife St. Paul faith; *'As in Adam 
all die, even io in Chrill: fhall all be 
made alive. "-f- That is to fay, all who 
follow Adam in pride, in luft of the 
fleih, and in difobedience, are dead in 
foul, and never will or can be made 
alive but in Chrift. And for this caufe, 
fo long as a man is an Adam or his 
child, he is without God. Chrift faith, 
*'he who is not with me is againft 
me.":}: Now he who is againft God, 
is dead before God. Whence it fol- 

♦ John ill. 3. f I Cor. xv. 22. 

J Matt. xii. 30. 



50 Theologia Germanica. 

loweth that all Adam's children are 
dead before God. But he who ftandeth 
with Chrift in perfect obedience, he is 
with God and liveth. As it hath been 
faid already, lin lieth in the turning 
away of the creature from the Creator, 
which agreeth with what we have now 
faid. 

For he who is in difobedience is in 
fin, and j(in can never be atoned for or 
healed but by returning to God, and 
this is brought to pafs by humble obe- 
dience. For fo long as a man conti- 
nueth in difobedience, his lin can never 
be blotted out ; let him do what he 
will, it availeth him nothing. Let us 
be alTured of this. For difobedience 
is itfelf fin. But when a man entereth 
into the obedience of the faith, all is 
healed, and blotted out and forgiven, 
and not elfe. Infomuch that if the 
Evil Spirit himfelf could come into 
true obedience, he would become an 
angel again, and all his fin and wicked- 



Theologia Germanica. 51 

nefs would be healed and blotted out 
and forgiven at once. And could an 
angel fall into difobedience, he would 
ftraightway become an evil fpirit al- 
though he did nothing afrefh. 

If then it were poflible for a man to 
renounce himfelf and all things, and to 
live as wholly and purely in true obe- 
dience, as Chrift did in his human na- 
ture, fuch a man were quite without 
fin, and were one thing with Chrift, 
and the fame by grace which Chrift 
was by nature. But it is faid this can- 
not be. So alfo it is faid : ^' there is 
none without fm.'' But be that as it 
may, this much is certain ; that the 
nearer we are to perfedl obedience, the 
lefs we fin, and the farther from it we 
are, the more we fin. In brief: whe- 
ther a man be good, better, or beft of 
all ; bad, worfe, or worft of all ; finful 
or faved before God; it all lieth in this 
matter of obedience. Therefore it hath 
been faid : the more of Self and Me, the 



52 'Theologta Germanka. 

more of fin and wickednefs. So like- 
wife it hath been faid: the more the 
Self, the I, the Me, the Mine, that is, 
felf-feeking and felfifhnefs abate in a 
man, the more doth God's I, that is, 
God Himfelf, increafe in him. 

Now, if all mankind abode in true 
obedience, there would be no grief nor 
forrow. For if it were fo, all men 
would be at one, and none would vex 
or harm another; fo alfo, none would 
lead a life or do any deed contrary to 
God's will. Whence then fhould grief 
or forrow arife? But now alas! all 
men, nay the whole world lieth in dif- 
obedience ! Now were a man fimply 
and wholly obedient as Chrifl was, all 
difobedience were to him a fharp and 
bitter pain. But though all men were 
againft him, they could neither fhake 
nor trouble him, for while in this obe- 
dience a man were one with God, and 
God Himfelf were [one with] the man. 

Behold now all difobedience is con- 



"Theologia German tea > 5 3 

trary to God, and nothing elfe. In 
truth, no Thing is contrary to God; no 
creature nor creature's work, nor any 
thing that we can name or think of is 
contrary to God or difpleafing to Him, 
but only difobedience and the difobe- 
dient man. In fhort, all that is, is 
well-pleafing and good in God's eyes, 
faving only the difobedient man. But 
he is fo difpleafing and hateful to God 
and grieveth him fo fore, that if it 
were pofTible for human nature to die 
a hundred deaths, God would willingly 
fuffer them all for one difobedient man, 
that He might flay difobedience in 
him, and that obedience might be born 
again. 

Behold! albeit no man may be fo 
Angle and perfed; in this obedience as 
Chrift was, yet it is poffible to every 
man to approach {o near thereunto as 
to be rightly called godlike, and *^a 
partaker of the divine natpre." ^ And 

* 2 Pet. i. 4.. 



54 Theologia Germanica. 

the nearer a man cometh thereunto, 
and the more godUke and divine he 
becometh, the more he hateth all dif- 
obedience, fin, evil and unrighteoufnefs, 
and the worfe they grieve him. Dif- 
obedience and fin are the fame thing, 
for there is no fin but difobedience, and 
what is done of difobedience is all fin. 
Therefore all we have to do is to keep 
ourfelves from difobedience. 



CHAP. XVIL 

How we are not to take unto ourfelves what 
we have done well^ but only what we have 
done amifs. 

llEHOLD! now it is reported there 
be fome who vainly think and fay 
that they are fo wholly dead to felf and 
quit of it, as to have reached and abide 
in a ftate where they fuffer nothing 



Theologia Ger?na7nca. S5 

and are moved by nothing, juft as if 
all men were living in obedience, or 
as if there were no creatures. And 
thus they profefs to continue always in 
an even temper of mind, fo that noth- 
ing cometh amifs to them, howfoever 
things fall out, well or ill. Nay verily! 
the matter ftandeth not fo, but as we 
have faid. It might be thus, if all 
men were brought into obedience ; 
but until then, it cannot be. 

But it'may be afked: Are not we to 
be feparate from all things, and neither 
to take unto ourfelves evil nor good ? 
I anfwer, no one fhall take goodnefs 
unto himfelf, for that belongeth to God 
and His goodnefs only; but thanks be 
unto the man, and everlafting reward 
and bleffings, who is fit and ready to be 
a dwelling and tabernacle of the Eternal 
Goodnefs and Godhead, wherein God 
may exert his power, and will and work 
without hindrance. But if any now 
will excufe himfelf for fin, by refufing 



56 Theologia Germanica. 

to take what is evil unto himfelf, and 
laying the guilt thereof upon the Evil 
Spirit, and thus make himfelf out to 
be quite pure and innocent (as our iirft 
parents Adam and Eve did w^hile they 
were yet in paradife; when each laid 
the guilt upon the other,) he hath no 
right at all to do this; for it is written, 
^^ there is none without fin." There- 
fore I fay; reproach, fhame, lofs, woe, 
and eternal damnation be to the man 
who is fit and ready and willing that the 
Evil Spirit and falfehood, lies and all 
untruthfulnefs, wickednefs and other 
evil things fhould have their will and 
pleafure, word and work in him, and 
make him their houfe and habitation. 



Theologia Germanka. ^7 



CHAP. XVIII. 

How that the Life of Chrifl is the noUeJi and 
befl Life that ever hath been or can he^ and 
how a carelefs Life of falje Freedom is the 
worft Life that can be. 

r\P a truth we ought to know and 
^^^ believe that there is no life fo no- 
ble and good and well plealing to God, 
as the life of Chrift, and yet it is to na- 
ture and felfiihnefs the bitterefl life. A 
life of careleffnefs and freedom is to 
nature and the Self and the Me, the 
fweeteft and pleafantefl: life, but it is 
not the beft ; and in fome men may 
become the worft. But though Chrift's 
life be the moft bitter of all, yet it is 
to be preferred above all. Hereby 
fhall ye mark this : There is an in- 
ward fight which hath power to per- 



58 Theologia Germanica. 

ceive the One true Good, and that it 
is neither this nor that, but that of 
which St, Paul faith; *'when that 
which is perfect is come, then that 
which is in part fhall be done away."* 
By this he meaneth, that the Whole 
and Perfed: excelleth all the fragments, 
and that all which is in part and imper- 
fect, is as nought compared to the Per- 
fedl. Thus likewife all knowledge of 
the parts is fwallowed up when the 
Whole is known; and where that Good 
is known, it cannot but be longed for 
and loved fo greatly, that all other love 
wherewith the man hath loved himfelf 
and other things, fadeth away. And 
that inward fight likewife perceiveth 
what is befi: and nobleft in all things, 
and loveth it in the one true Good, and 
only for the fake of that true Good. 

Behold! where there is this inward 
fight, the man perceiveth of a truth, 
that Chrifi:'s life is the befi: and nobleft 

* I Cor. xlii. 10. 



"Theologia Germa?: tea . 5 9 

life, and therefore the moft to be pre- 
ferred, and he willingly accepteth and 
endureth it, without a queftion or a 
complaint, whether it pleafe or offend 
nature or other men, whether he like 
or dillike it, find it fweet or bitter, and 
the like. And therefore wherever this 
perfedl and true Good is known, there 
alfo the life of Chrift muft be led, until 
the death of the body. And he who 
vainly thinketh otherwife is deceived, 
and he who faith otherwife, lieth, and 
in what man the life of Chrift is not, 
of him the true Good and eternal 
Truth will never more be known* 



6o Theologia Germanka. 



CHAP. XIX. 

How we cannot come to the true Light and 
Chrijl's LifCy by much ^ejtioning or Read- 
ingy or by high natural Skill and Reajon^ 
but by truly renouncing our/elves and all 
Things. 

T ET no one fuppofe that we may- 
attain to this true light and perfed: 
knowledge, or life of Chrift, by much 
queftioning, or by hearfay, or by read- 
ing and ftudy, nor yet by high fkill 
and great learning. Yea fo long as a 
man taketh account of anything which 
is this or that, whether it be himfelf, 
or any other creature; or doeth any- 
thing, or frameth a purpofe, for the 
fake of his own likings or defires, or 
opinions, or ends, he cometh not unto 
the life of Chrift. This hath Chrift 
himfelf declared, for he faith: ^^If 



Theologia Germanka. 6i 

any man will come after me, let him 
deny himfelf, and take up his crofs, 
and follow me/'* **He that taketh not 
his crofs, and followeth after me, is not 
worthy of me/'-f- And if he ''hate 
not his father and mother, and wife, 
and children, and brethren and lifters, 
yea, and his own life alfo, he cannot be 
my difciple/'J He meaneth it thus: 
''he who doth not forfake and part 
with every thing, can never know my 
eternal truth, nor attain unto my life/' 
And though this had never been de- 
clared unto us, yet the truth herfelf 
fayeth it, for it is fo of a truth. But 
fo long as a man clingeth unto the 
elements and fragments of this world 
(and above all to himfelf,) and holdeth 
converfe with them, and maketh great 
account of them, he is deceived and 
blinded, and perceiveth what is good 
no further than as it is moft convenient 

• Matt. xvi. 24. f Matt. x. 38. 

J Luke XIV. 26. 



62 Theologia Germanka. 

and pleafant to himfelf and profitable 
to his own ends, Thefe he holdeth 
to be the higheft good, and loveth 
above all. [Thus he never cometh to 
the truth.] 



i| 



CHAP. XX. 

How^ feeing that the Life of Chrift is moft 
hitter to Nature^ and Self Nature will 
have none of ity and choofeth a falfe care- 
lefs Lifey as is moft convenient to her. 

XJOW, fince the life of Chrift is 
every way moft bitter to nature 
and the Self and the Me (for in the 
true life of Chrift, the Self and the Me 
and nature muft be forfaken and loft, 
and die altogether,) therefore, in each 
of us, nature hath a horror of it, and 
thinketh it evil and unjuft and a folly, 
and grafpeth after fuch a life as fhall 
be moft comfortable and pleafant to 



"Theologia Germanica. 6i 

herfelf, and faith, and believeth alfo in 
her bhndnefs, that fuch a life is the 
beil: poffible. Now, nothing is fo 
comfortable and pleafant to nature, as 
a free, carelefs way of life, thereforth 
fhe clihgeth to that, and taketh enjoy- 
ment in herfelf and her own powers, 
and looketh only to her own peace and 
comfort and the like. And this hap- 
peneth moft of all, where there are 
high natural gifts of reafon, for that 
foareth upwards in its own light and 
by its own power, till at laft it cometh 
to think itfelf the true Eternal Light, 
and giveth itfelf out as fuch, and is 
thus deceived in itfelf, and deceiveth 
other people along with it, who know 
no better, and alfo are thereunto in- 
clined. 



64 Theologia Germanica, 



CHAP. XXL 

How a Friend of Chriji willingly fulfilleth 
by his outward Works^ fuch Things as 
muft he and ought to he^ and doth not con- 
cern him/elf with the reft. 

T^OW, it may be afked, what is 
^ ^ the ftate of a man who followeth 
the true Light to the utmoft of his 
power? I anfwer truly, it will never 
be declared aright, for he who is not 
fuch a man, can neither underftand nor 
know it, and he who is, knoweth it 
indeed; but he cannot utter it, for it 
is unfpeakable. Therefore let hun 
who would know it, give his whole 
diligence that he may enter therein ; 
then will he fee and find what hath 
never been uttered by man's lips. 
However, I believe that fuch a man 
hath liberty as to his outward walk and 
converfation, fo long as they confift 



Theologia Germanica. 65 

with what muft be or ought to be ; 
but they may not confift with what he 
merely willeth to be. But oftentimes a 
man maketh to himfelf many muft-be's 
and ought- to-be's which are falfe. 
The which ye may fee hereby, that 
when a man is moved by his pride or 
covetoufnefs or other evil difpolitions, 
to do or leave undone anything, he oft- 
times faith, ^^It muft needs be fo, and 
ought to be fo." Or if he is driven 
to, or held back from anything by the 
defire to find favour in men's eyes, or 
by love, friendfhip, enmity, or the lufts 
and appetites of his body, he faith, ^^It 
muft needs be ioy and ought to be fo." 
Yet behold, that is utterly falfe. Had 
we no muft-be's, nor ought-to-be's, 
but fuch as God and the Truth ihow 
us, and conftrain us to, we fhould have 
lefs,forfooth, to order and do than now; 
[for we make to ourfelves much dif- 
quietude and difficulty which we might 
well be fpared and raifed above.] 



(>(> 'Theologia Germanica. 



CHAP. XXII. 

How Jometimes the Sprit of God, and Jome- 
times aljo the Evil Sprit may pjfejs a 
Man and have the maftery over him. 

TT is written that fometimes the 
Devil and his fpirit do fo enter into 
and polTefs a man, that he knoweth 
not what he doeth and leaveth undone, 
and hath no power over himfelf, but 
the Evil Spirit hath the maftery over 
him, and doeth and leaveth undone in, 
and with, and through, and by the 
man what he will. It is true in a fenfe 
that all the world is fubjedl to and pof- 
fefled with the Evil Spirit, that is, with 
lies, falfehood, and other vices and evil 
ways; this alfo cometh of the Evil 
Spirit, but in a different fenfe. 

Now, a man who ftiould be in like 
manner poffeffed by the Spirit of God, 



Theologia Germanica. 67 

fo that he fhould not know what he 
doeth or leaveth undone, and have no 
power over himfelf, but the will and 
Spirit of God fhould have the maflery 
over him, and work, and do, and leave 
undone with him and by him, what 
and as God would; fuch a man were 
one of thofe of whom St. Paul faith: 
*^For as many as are led by the Spirit 
of God they are the fons of God/'* 
and they ^^are not under the law but 
under grace,''*f' and to whom Chrift 
faith: ^^For it is not ye that fpeak, but 
the Spirit of your Father which fpeak- 
eth in you/':}: 

But I fear that for one who is truly 
poffeiTed with the Spirit of God, there 
are a hundred thoufand or an innume- 
rable multitude poiTeiTed with the Evil 
Spirit. This is becaufe men have more 
likenefs to the Evil Spirit than to God. 
For the Self, the I, thp^Me and the 

* Romans vili. 14. f Romans vi. 14. 

X Matthew x. 20, 



68 Theologia Germanka. 

like, all belong to the Evil Spirit, and 
therefore it is, that he is an evil Spirit. 
Behold one or tw^o words can utter all 
that hath been faid by thefe many 
words : ^^ Be limply and wholly bereft 
of Self/' But by thefe many words, 
the matter hath been more fully lifted, 
proved, and fet forth. 

Now men fay, **I am in no wife 
prepared for this work, and therefore 
it cannot be wrought in me,"' and thus 
they find an excufe, fo that they nei- 
ther are ready nor in the way to be fo. 
And truly there is no one to blame for 
this but themfelves. For if a man were 
looking and ftriving after nothing but 
to find a preparation in all things, and 
diligently gave his whole mind to fee 
how he might become prepared ; verily 
God would well prepare him, for God 
giveth as much c?re and earneftnefs and 
love to the preparing of a man, as to 
the pouring in of His Spirit when the 
man is prepared. 



T'heologta Germanica. 69 

Yet there be certain means there- 
unto, as the faying is, ^^to learn an art 
which thou knoweft not, four things 
are needful/'"^ The firft and mofl: 
needful of all is, a great deiire and 
diligence and conftant endeavour to 
learn the art. And where this is want- 
ing, the art will never be learned. The 
fecond is, a copy or enfample by which 
thou mayeft learn. The third is to 
give earneft heed to the mafter, and 
watch how he worketh, and to be 
obedient to him in all things, and to 
truft him and follow him. The fourth 
is to put thy own hand to the work, 
and pradlife it with all induftry. But 
where one of thefe four is wanting, the 
art will never be leal-ned and maftered. 
So likewife is it with this preparation. 
For he who hath the firft, that is, 
thorough diligence and conftant, per- 
fevering defire towards his end, will 
alfo feek and find all that appertaineth 

See note, p. 73. 



70 Theologia Ger^nanka, 

thereunto, or is ferviceable and profit- 
able to it. But he who hath not that 
earneftnefs and dihgence, love and de- 
fire, feeketh not, and therefore findeth 
not, and therefore remaineth ever un- 
prepared. And therefore he never 
attaineth unto that end. 



CHAP. XXIII. 

He who will Juhmit himjelf to God and be 
obedient to Him^ muji be ready to bear with 
all Things; to wit^ Gody him/elf^ and all 
Creatures^ and mufi be obedient to them ally 
whether he hath tojuffer or to do. 

^T~^HERE be fonie v^ho talk of other 
v^ays and preparations to this end, 
and fay v^e muft lie ftill under God's 
hand, and be obedient and refigned 
and fubmit to Him. This is true ; 
for all this would be perfefted in a man 
who fhould attain to the uttermoft that 



Theologia Gennanka. 7 1 

can be reached in this prefent time. 
But if a man ought and is willing to 
lie ftill under God's hand, he muft and 
ought alio to be ftill under all things, 
whether they come from God, himfelf, 
or the creatures, nothing excepted. 
And he who would be obedient, re- 
iigned and fubmiffive to God, muft 
and ought to be alfo refigned, obedient 
and fubmiffive to all things, in a fpirit 
of yielding, and not of reliftance, and 
take them in filence, refting on the 
hidden foundations of his foul, and 
having a fecret inward patience, that 
enableth him to take all chances or 
crolTes willingly, and whatever befall- 
eth, neither to call for nor defire any 
redrefs, or deliverance, or reiiftance, or 
revenge, but always in a loving, fincere 
humility to cry, '' Father, forgive them, 
for they know not what they do!'' 

Behold! this were a good path to 
that which is Beft, and a noble and 
blefled preparation for the fartheft goal 
1 



72 Theologia Germanica. 

which a man may reach in this prefent 
time. This is the lovely life of Chrift, 
for he walketh in the aforefaid paths 
perfectly and wholly unto the end of 
his bodily life on earth. Therefore 
there is no other or better way or pre- 
paration to the joyful life of Jefus Chrift, 
than this fame courfe, and to exercife 
onefelf therein, as much as may be. 
And of what belongeth thereunto we 
have already faid fomewhat; nay, all 
that we have here or elfewhere faid and 
written, is but a way or means to that 
end. But what the end is, knoweth 
no man to declare. But let him who 
would know it, follow my counfel and 
take the right path thereunto, which 
is the humble life of Jefus Chrift; [let 
him ftrive after that with unwearied 
perfeverance, and fo, without doubt, he 
ihall come to that end which endureth 
for ever. *^ For he that endureth to 
the end fhall be faved."] * 

* Matt. X. 22. 



CHAP. XXIV. 

How that four Things are needful before a 
Man can receive divine Truth^ and he poj- 
fejfed with the Spirit of God.^ 

lyrOREOVER there are yet other 
ways to the lovely life of Chrift, 
befides thofe we have fpoken of: to 
wit, that God and man fhould be 
wholly united, fo that it can be faid 
of a truth that God and man are one. 
This Cometh to pafs on this wife. 
Where the Truth always reigneth, fo 
that true perfe6l God and true perfedl 
man are at one, and man ^o giveth place 
to God, that God Himfelf is there and 

* The heading of this Chapter appears to have no re- 
lation to its contents, while it perfedly fiiits the latter half 
of Chap, xxii., (p. 69,) which has nothing correfponding 
to it in the heading of that chapter. As however the 
heading of Chap. xxiv. is common both to the Wurtzburg 
MS. and Luther's editions, the tranflator has no option 
but to retain it in its prefent pofition. 




yet the man too, and this fame unity 
worketh continually, and doeth and 
leaveth undone without any I, and Me, 
and Mine, and the like; behold, there 
is Chrift, and nowhere elfe. Now, 
feeing that here there is true perfe6t 
manhood, fo there is a perfeft per- 
ceiving and feeling of pleafure and pain, 
liking and difliking, fweetnefs and bit- 
ternefs, joy and forrow, and all that can 
be perceived and felt within and with- 
out. And feeing that God is here 
made man, he is alfo able to perceive 
and feel love and hatred, evil and good, 
and the like. As a man who is not 
God, feeleth and taketh note of all that 
giveth him pleafure and pain, and it 
pierceth him to the heart, efpecially 
what ofFendeth him; fo is it alfo when 
God and man are one, and yet God is 
the man ; there everything is perceived 
and felt that is contrary to God and 
man. And iince there man becometh 
nought, and God alone is everything. 



'Theologia Germa?iica. j^ 



fo is it with that which is contrary to 
man, and a forrow to him. And this 
muft hold true of God fo long as a 
bodily and fubftantial life endure th. 

Furthermore, mark ye, that the one 
Being in whom God and man are 
united, flandeth free of himfelf and of 
all things, and whatever is in him is 
there for God's fake and not for man's, 
or the creature's. For it is the property 
of God to be without this and that, 
and without Self and Me, and without 
equal or fellow; but it is the nature 
and property of the creature to feek 
itfelf and its own things, and this and 
that, here and there; and in all that it 
doeth and leaveth undone its defire is 
to its own advantage and profit. Now 
where a creature or a man forfaketh 
and Cometh out of himfelf and his own 
things, there God entereth in with His 
own, that is, with Himfelf. 



76 Theologia Germanica. 



CHAP. XXV. 

Of two evil Fruits that do fpring up from the 
Seed of the Evil Spirit ^ and are two Sijlers 
who love to dwell together* The one is 
called Jpiritual Pride and Highmindednejsy 
the other is falje^ lawlejs Freedom. 

T^OW, after that a man hath walked 
in all the ways that lead him unto 
the truth, and exercifed himfelf there- 
in, not fparing his labour ; now, as 
often and as long as he dreameth that 
his work is altogether finifhed, and he 
is by this time quite dead to the world, 
and come out from Self and given up 
to God alone, behold! the Devil Com- 
eth and foweth his feed in the man's 
heart. From this feed fpring two 
fruits ; the one is fpiritual fulnefs or 
pride, the other is falfe, lawlefs free- 
dom, Thefe are two lifters who love 



Theologia Germanica. jj 

to be together. Now, it beginneth 
on this wife: the Devil puffeth up the 
man, till he thinketh himfelf to have 
climbed the topmoft pinnacle, and to 
have come fo near to heaven, that he 
no longer needeth Scripture, nor teach- 
ing, nor this nor that, but is altogether 
raifed above any need. Whereupon 
there arileth a falfe peace and fatisfac- 
tion with himfelf, and then it follow- 
eth that he faith or thinketh: ''Yea, 
now I am above all other men, and 
know and underiland more than any 
one in the world; therefore it is cer- 
tainly juft and reafonable that I fhould 
be the lord and commander of all 
creatures, and that all creatures, and 
efpecially all men, fhould ferve me 
and be fubjeft unto me.'' And then he 
feeketh and defireth the fame, and 
taketh it gladly from all creatures, ef- 
pecially men, and thinketh himfelf 
well worthy of all this, and that it is 
his due, and looketh on men as if they 




were the beafts of the field, and think- 
eth himfelf worthy of all that minifter- 
eth to his body and life and nature, in 
profit, or joy, or pleafure, or even paf- 
time and amufement, and he feeketh 
and taketh it wherever he findeth op- 
portunity. And whatever is done or 
can be done for him, feemeth him all 
too little and too poor, for he thinketh 
himfelf worthy of ftill more and greater 
honour than can be rendered to him. 
And of all the men who ferve him and 
are fubjedt to him, even if they be 
downright thieves and murderers, he 
faith neverthelefs, that they have faith- 
ful, noble hearts, and have great love 
and faithfulnefs to the truth and to poor 
men. And fuch men are praifed by him, 
and he feeketh them and folio weth after 
them wherever they be. But he who 
doth not order himfelf according to 
the will of thefe highminded men, nor 
is fubjed: unto them, is not fought after 
by them, nay, more likely blamed and 



Theologia Germanica. 79 

fpoken ill of, even though he were as 
holy as St. Peter himfelf. And feeing 
that this proud and puffed-up fpirit 
thinketh thatflie needeth neither Scrip- 
ture, nor inftruilion, nor anything o^ 
the kind, therefore fhe giveth no heed 
to the admonitions, order, laws and 
precepts of the holy Chriftian Church, 
nor to the Sacraments, but mocketh at 
them and at all men who walk accord- 
ing to thefe ordinances and hold them 
in reverence. Hereby we may plainly 
fee that thofe two fifters dwell together. 
Moreover fince this fheer pride think- 
eth to know and underftand more than 
all men beiides, therefore fhe choofeth 
to prate more than all other men, and 
would fain have her opinions and 
fpeeches to be alone regarded and lif- 
tened to, and counteth all that others 
think and fay to be wrong, and holdeth 
it in derilion as a folly. 



8o Theologia Germanica. 



CHAP. XXVL 

Touching Toornejs of Sprit and true Humil- 
ity^ and whereby we may dijcern the true 
and lawful free Men^ whom the Truth 
hath made free. 

T)UT it is quite otherwife where 
there is poornefs of fpirit, and 
true humility; and it is fo becaufe it 
is found and known of a truth that a 
man, of himfelf and his own power, 
is nothing, hath nothing, can do and 
is capable of nothing but only infirmi- 
ty and evil. Hence followeth that the 
man findeth himfelf altogether unwor- 
thy of all that hath been or ever will 
be done for him, by God or the crea- 
tures, and that he is a debtor to God 
and alfo to all the creatures in God's 
ftead, both to bear with, and to labour 
for, and to ferve them. And therefore 



T^heologia Germanica. 8i 

he doeth not in any wife ftand up for 
his own rights, but from the humility 
of his heart he faith, ^^It is juft and 
reafonable that God and all creatures 
fhould be againft me, and have a right 
over me, and to me, and that I fhould 
not be againft any one, nor have a right 
to any thing." Hence it followeth 
that the man doth not and will not 
crave or beg for any thing, either from 
God or the creatures, beyond mere 
needful things, and for thofe only with 
ihame-facednefs, as a favour and not 
as a right. And he will not minifter 
unto or gratify his body or any of his 
natural deiires, beyond what is needful, 
nor allow that any fhould help or ferve 
him except in cafe of necefHty, and 
then always in trembling ; for he hath 
no right to any thing, and therefore 
he thinketh himfelf unworthy of any 
thing. So likewife all his own dif- 
courfe, ways, words and works feem to 
this man a thing of nought and a folly. 



8 2 "Theologia German tea . 

Therefore he fpeaketh little, and doth 
not take upon himfelf to admonifh or 
rebuke any, unlefs he be conftrained 
thereto by love or faithfulnefs towards 
God, and even then he doth it in fear, 
and fo little as may be. 

Moreover, when a man hath this 
poor and humble fpirit, he cometh to 
fee and underftand aright, how that all 
men are bent upon themfelves, and in- 
clined to evil and iin, and that on this 
account it is needful and profitable that 
there be order, cuftoms, law and pre- 
cepts, to the end that the blindnefs and 
foolifhnefs of men may be corrected, 
and that vice and wickednefs may be 
kept under, and conftrained to feemli- 
nefs. For without ordinances, men 
would be much more mifchievous and 
ungovernable than dogs and cattle. 
And few have come to the knowledge 
of the truth, but what have begun with 
holy praftices and ordinances, and ex- 
ercifed themfelves therein fo long as 
they knew nothing more nor better. 



Theologia Germanica. 83 

Therefore one who is poor in fpirit 
and of a humble mind doth not defpife 
or make light of law, order, precepts 
and holy cuftoms, nor yet of thofe who 
obferve and cleave wholly to them, but 
with loving pity and gentle forrow, 
crieth: *^ Almighty Father, Thou Eter- 
nal Truth, I make my lament unto 
Thee, and it grieveth Thy Spirit too, 
that through man's blindnefs, infirmity, 
and fin, that is made needful and muft 
be, which in deed and truth were nei- 
ther needful nor right/' [For thofe 
who are perfeft are under no law. 

So order, laws, precepts and the like 
are merely an admonition to men who 
underftand nothing better and know 
and perceive not wherefore all law and 
order is ordained.] And the perfect 
accept the law along with fuch ignorant 
men as underftand and know nothing 
better, and praftife it with them, to 
the intent that they may be reftrained 
thereby, and kept from evil ways, or 



84 "Theologia Germanica. 

if it be poffible, brought to fomething 
higher. 

Behold! all that we have faid of 
poverty and humility is fo of a truth, 
and we have the proof and witnefs 
thereof in the pure life of Chrift, and 
in his words. For he both pradlifed 
and fulfilled every work of true hu- 
mility and all other virtues, as fhineth 
forth in his holy life, and he faith alfo 
expreilly: ^* Learn of me, for I am 
meek and lowly of heart, and ye fhall 
find reft unto your fouls." ^ More- 
over he did not defpife and fet at nought 
the law and the commandments, nor 
yet the men who are under the law. 
[He faith: "I am not come to deftroy 
the law or the prophets, but to fulfil.''] 
But he faith further, that to keep them 
is not enough, we muft prefs forward 
to what is higher and better, as is in- 
deed true. [He faith: ^* Except your 
righteoufnefs fhall exceed the right- 

* Matt, xl, 29. 



eoufnefs of the Scribes and Pharifees, 
ye fhall in no cafe enter into the king- 
dom of Heaven."* For the law for- 
biddeth evil w^orks, but Chrift con- 
demneth alfo evil thoughts; the law 
alloweth us to take vengeance on our 
enemies, but Chrift commandeth us 
to love them. The law forbiddeth not 
the good things of this world, but he 
counfelleth us to defpife them. And 
he hath fet his feal upon all he faid, 
with his own holy life; for he taught 
nothing that he did not fulfil in work, 
and he kept the law and was fubjed: 
unto it to the end of his mortal life.] 
Likewife St. Paul faith: *^ Chrift was 
made under the law to redeem them 
that were under the law.''-f' That is, 
that he might bring them to fome- 
thing higher and nearer to himfelf. 
He faid again, *^The Son of man came 
not to be miniftered unto but to min- 

ifter.":{: 

* Matt. V. 20. f Galat. iv. 4. J Matt. xx. 28. 



86 Theologia Germanica. 

In a word : in Chrift's life and 
words and works, we find nothing but 
true, pure humility and poverty fuch 
as we have fet forth. And therefore 
where God dwelleth in a man, and the 
man is a true follower of Chrift, it 
will be, and muft be, and ought to be 
the fame. But where there is pride, 
and a haughty fpirit, and a light care- 
lefs mind, Chrift is not, nor any true 
follower of his. 

Chrift faid: ^^my foul is troubled, 
even unto death.'' He meaneth his 
bodily death.'' [That is to fay: from 
the time that he was born of Mary, 
until his death on the crofs, he had 
not one joyful day, but only trouble, 
forrow and contradidlion.] Therefore 
it is juft and reafonable that his fervants 
fhould be even as their Mafter. Chrift 
faith alfo: ^'Bleffed are the poor in 
fpirit," (that is, thofe who are truly 
humble) ^^for theirs is the kingdom 
of Heaven." And thus we find it of 



"Theologia Gerfnanka. 87 

a truth, where God is made man. 
For in Chrift and in all his true fol- 
lowers, there muft needs be thorough 
humility and poornefs oi fpirit, a lowly 
retiring difpolition, and a heart laden 
with a fecret forrow and mourning, 
lb long as this mortal life lafteth. And 
he who dreameth otherwife is deceiv- 
ed, and deceiveth others with him as 
aforefaid. Therefore nature and Self 
always avoid this life, and cling to a 
life of falfe freedom and eafe as we 
have faid. 

Behold! now cometh an Adam or an 
Evil Spirit, wifhing to juftify himfelf 
and make excufe, and faith; ^*Thou 
wilt almoft have it that Chrift was be- 
reft of felf and the like, yet he fpake 
often of himfelf, and glorified himfelf 
in this and that/' Anfwer: when a 
man in whom the truth worketh, hath 
and ought to have a will towards any 
thing, his will and endeavour and 
works are for no end, but that the 
m 



88 Theologia Germanka. 

truth may be feen and manifefted; and 
this will was in Chrift, and to this end, 
words and works are needful. And 
what Chrift did becaufe it was the 
moft profitable and beft means there- 
unto, he no more took unto himfelf 
than any thing elfe that happened. 
Doft thou fay now: ^^Then there wa? 
a Wherefore in Chrift?'' I anfwer, if 
thou wert to afk the fun, ^^why fliineft 
thou?" he would fay: ^^I muft fhine, 
and cannot do otherwife, for it is my 
nature and property; but this my pro- 
perty, and the light I give, is not of 
myfelf, and I do not call it mine." So 
likewife is it with God and Chrift and 
all who are godly and belong unto 
God. In them is no willing, nor work- 
ing nor deliring but has for its end, 
goodnefs, as goodnefs, for the fake of 
goodnefs, and they have no otii'fr 
Wherefore than this. 



"Theologia Ger7nanica. 89 



CHAP. XXVIL 

How we are to take Chrijt's Words when he 
hade us forjake all Things; and wherein 
the Union with the Divine Will Jlandeth. 

^^TOW, according to what hath been 
faid, ye muft obferve that when 
we fay, as Chrift alfo faith, that we 
ought to refign and forfake all things, 
this is not to be taken in the fenfe that 
a man is neither to do nor to purpofe 
any thing; for a man muft always have 
fomething to do and to order fo long 
as he liveth. But we are to underftand 
by it that the union with God ftandeth 
not in any man's powers, in his work- 
ing or abftaining, perceiving or know- 
ing, nor in that of all the creatures 
taken together. 

Now what is this union? It is that 
we fhould be of a truth purely, fimply, 
and wholly at one with the One Eter- 



90 "Theologia Germanica. 

nal Will of God, or altogether without 
will, fo that the created will fhould 
flow out into the Eternal Will, and be 
fwallowed up and loft therein, fo that 
the Eternal Will alone fhould do and 
leave undone in us. Now mark what 
may help or further us towards this 
end. Behold, neither exercifes, nor 
words, nor works, nor any creature 
nor creature's work, can do this. In 
this wife therefore muft we renounce 
and forfake all things, that we muft 
not imagine or fuppofe that any words, 
works, or exercifes, any fkill or cun- 
ning or any created thing can help or 
ferve us thereto. Therefore we mail 
fuifer thefe things to be what they are, 
and enter into the union with God. 
Yet outward things muft be, and we 
muft do and refrain fo far as is neceffa- 
ry, efpecially we muft fleep and wake, 
walk and ftand ftill, fpeak and be filent, 
and much more of the like. Thefe 
muft go on fo long as we live. 



Theologia Germanka. 91 



CH^P. XXVIII. 

HoWy after a Union with the divine Will^ 
the inward Man (iandeth immoveable^ the 
while the outward Man is moved hither 
and thither. 

'^TOW, when this union truly cometh 
to pafs and becometh eftabhfhed, 
the inward man flandeth henceforward 
immoveable in this union; and God 
fuffereth the outward man to be moved 
hither and thither, from this to that, of 
fuch things as are neceffary and right. 
So that the outward man faith in lin- 
cerity, *^I have no will to be or not to 
be, to live or die, to know or not to 
know, to do or to leave undone and the 
like; but I am ready for all that is to 
be, or ought to be, and obedient there- 
unto, whether I have to do or to fufFer.'' 
And thus the outward man hath no 
Wherefore or purpofe, but only to do 
his part to further the Eternal Will. 
For it is perceived of a truth, that the 



92 Theologia Germanica. 

inward manfhallftand immoveable, and 
that it is needful for the outward man 
to be moved. And if the inward man 
have any Wherefore in the actions of 
the outward man, he faith only that 
fuch things muft be and ought to be, as 
are ordained by the Eternal Will. And 
where God Himfelf dwelleth in theman, 
it is thus; as we plainly fee in Chrift. 
Moreover, where there is this union, 
which is the offspring of a Divine light 
and dwelleth in its beams, there is no 
fpiritual pride, or irreverent fpirit, but 
boundlefs humility, and a lowly broken 
heart; alfo an honeft blamelefs walk, 
juftice, peace, content and all that is of 
virtue muft needs be there. Where 
they are not, there is no right union, as 
we have faid. For juft as neither this 
thing nor that can bring about or fur- 
ther this union, fo there is nothing 
which hath power to fruftrate or hinder 
it, fave the man himfelf with his felf- 
will, that doeth him this great wrong. 
Of this be well affured. 



T*heologia Germanica. 93 



CHAP. XXIX. 

How a Man may not attain Jo high before 
Death as not to he moved or touched by 
outward Things. 

^T^HERE be fome who affirm, that 
a man, while in this prefent time, 
may and ought to be above being 
touched by outward things, and in all 
refpedts as Chrift was after his refur- 
rediion. This they try to prove and 
eftablifh by Chrift's words, ^^I go be- 
fore you into Galilee, there fhall ye 
fee me,"^ And again, *'A fpirit hath 
not flefh and bones as ye fee me have/'^f- 
Thefe fayings they interpret thus: ^^As 
ye have feen me, and been followers 
of me, in my mortal body and life, fo 
alfo it behoveth you to fee me and fol- 
low me, as I go before you into Gali- 

* Matt, xxvi. 32 and xxviii. 7-io, 
f Luke xxiv. 39. 



94 "Theologia Germanka. 

lee; that is to fay, into a ftate in which 
nothing hath power to move or grieve 
the foul ; on which ftate ye fhall enter, 
and live and continue therein, before 
that ye have fuifered and gone through 
your bodily death. And as ye fee me 
having flefh and bones, and not liable 
to fuffer, fo (hall ye likewife, while yet 
in the body and having your mortal 
nature, ceafe to feel outward things, 
were it even the death of the body/' 

Now, I anfwer, in the firft place, to 
this affirmation, that Chrift did not 
mean that a man fhould or could attain 
unto this ftate, unlefs he have firft gone 
through and fuffered all that Chrift 
did. Now, Chrift did not attain 
thereunto, before he had paiTed through 
and fuffered his natural death, and 
what things appertain thereto. There- 
fore no man can or ought to come to 
it fo long as he is mortal and liable to 
fuffer. For if fuch a ftate were the 
nobleft and beft, and if it were poffible 



"Theologia Gennanka. 95 

and right to attain to it, as aforefaid, 
in this prefent time, then it would have 
been attained by Chrift; for the Hfe 
of Chrift is the beft and nobleft, the 
worthieft and lovelieft in God's fight 
that ever was or will be. Therefore 
if it was not and could not be fo with 
Chrift, it will never be fo with any 
man. Therefore though fome may 
imagine and fay that fuch a life is the 
beft and nobleft life, yet it is not fo. 




CHAP. XXX. 

On what wife we may come to be beyond and 
above all Cuftom^ Order^ Law^ Precepts^ 
and the like. 

C OME fay further, that we can and 
ought to get beyond all virtue, all 
cuftom and order, all law, precepts and 
feemlinefs, fo that all thefe fhould be 
laid afide, thrown off and fet at nought. 
Herein there is fome truth, and fome 
falfehood. Behold and mark: Chrift 
was greater than his own life, and above 
all virtue, cuftom, ordinances and the 
like, and fo alfo is the Evil Spirit above 
them, but with a difference. For 
Chrift was and is above them on this 
wife, that his words, and works, and 
ways, his doings and refrainings, his 
fpeech and lilence, his fufferings, and 
whatfoever happened to him, were 



Theologia Germanica. 97 

not forced upon him, neither did he 
need them, neither were they of any 
profit to himfelf. It was and is the 
fame with all manner of virtue, order, 
laws, decency, and the like; for all 
that may be reached by them is alrea- 
dy in Chrift to perfection. In this 
fenfe, that faying of St. Paul is true and 
receiveth its fulfilment, '^As many as 
are led by the Spirit of God, they are 
the fons of God," *'and are not under 
the law but under grace."* That 
meaneth, man need not teach them 
what they are to do or abftain from; 
for their Mafter, that is, the Spirit of 
God, ihall verily teach them what is 
needful for them to know. Likewife 
they do not need that men fhould give 
them precepts, or command them to do 
right and not to do wrong, and the like; 
for the fame admirable Mafter who 
teacheth them what is good or not good, 
what is higher and lower, and in fhort 

* Rom. viii. lo, and vi. 14. 



98 Theologia Germanica. 

leadeth them into all truth. He reign- 
eth alfo within them, and biddeth them 
to hold faft that which is good, and to 
let the reft go, and to Him they give 
ear. Behold! in this fenfe they need 
not to wait upon any law, either to 
teach or to command them. In another 
fenfe alfo they need no law; namely, 
in order to feek or win fomething 
thereby, or get any advantage for them- 
felves. For whatever help toward 
eternal life, or furtherance in the way 
everlafting they might obtain from the 
aid, or counfel, or words, or works of 
any creature, they pofTefs already be- 
forehand. Behold! in this fenfe alfo 
it is true, that we may rife above all 
law and virtue, and alfo above the 
works and knowledge and powers of 
any creature. 



"Theologia Germanica. 99 



CHAP. XXXI. 

How we are not to cajl off the Life of Chrijt^ 
but pra£life it diligently y and walk in it 
until Death. 

T3UT that other thing which they 
affirm, how that we ought to 
throw off and caft afide the life of 
Chriil:, and all laws and command- 
ments, cuftoms and order and the like, 
and pay no heed to them, but defpife 
and make light of them, is altogether 
falfe and a lie. Now fome may fay; 
— ^'iince neither Chrift nor others can 
ever gain anything, either by a Chrif- 
tian life, or by all thefe exercifes and 
ordinances, and the like, nor turn them 
to any account, feeing that they poffefs 
already all that can be had through 
them, what caufe is there why they 
ihould not henceforth efchew them 



loo Theologia Germanica. 

altogether? Muft they ftill retain and 
pradlice them?'' 

Behold, ye muft look narrowly into 
this matter. There are two kinds of 
Light; the one is true and the other 
is falfe. The true Hght is that Eter- 
nal Light which is God ; or elfe it is a 
created light, but yet divine, which is 
called grace. And thefe are both the 
true Light. So is the falfe light Nature 
or of Nature. But why is the firft 
true, and the fecond falfe? This we 
can better perceive than fay or write. 
To God, as Godhead, appertain neither 
will, nor knowledge, nor manifeftation, 
nor anything that we can name, or fay, 
or conceive. But to God as God,^ it 
belongethtoexprefs Himfelf,and know 
and love Himfelf, and to reveal Him- 
felf to Himfelf; and all this without 
any creature. And all this refteth in 
God as a fubftance but not as a work- 
ing, fo long as there is no creature. 

* That IS, as a Perfonj — **God'' being ufed here as a 
proper name, — Tr. 



Theologia Germanica. i o i 

And out of this expreffing and reveal- 
ing of Himfelf unto Himfelf, arifeth 
the diftinftion of Perfons. But when 
God as God is made man, or where 
God dwelleth in a godly man, or one 
who is ^'made a partaker of the divine 
nature,'' in fuch a man fomewhat ap- 
pertaineth unto God which is His own, 
and belongeth to Him only and not to 
the creature. And without the crea- 
ture, this would lie in His own Self as 
a Subftance or well-fpring, but would 
not be manifefted or wrought out into 
deeds. Now God will have it to be 
exercifed and clothed in a form, for it 
is there only to be wrought out and 
executed. What elfe is it for? Shall 
it lie idle? What then would it profit? 
As good were it that it had never been; 
nay better, for what is of no ufe exill:- 
eth in vain, and that is abhorred by 
God and Nature. However God will 
have it wrought out, and this cannot 
come to pafs (which it ought to do,) 



I02 Theologia Germanica. 

without the creature. Nay, if there 
ought not to be, and were not this and 
that — works, and a world full of real 
things, and the like, — what were God 
Himfelf, and what had He to do, and 
whofe God would he be? Here we 
muft turn and ftop, or we might fo'llow 
this matter and grope along until we 
knew not where we were, nor how we 
fhould find our way out again. 



CHAP. xxxn. 

How God is a true^ Jimpky perfect Goody and 
how He is a Light and a Reafon and all 
Virtues y and how what is highejt and be/t, 
that isy Gody ought to be mojt loved by us. 

TN fhort I would have you to under- 
ftand, that God (in fo far as He is 
good) is goodnefs as goodnefs, and not 
this or that good. But here mark one 
thing. Behold! what is fometimes 
here and fometimes there is not every- 
where, and above all things and places; 



Theologia Germanica. 103 

fo alfo, what is to-day, or to-morrow, 
is not always, at all times, and above 
all time; and what is fome Thing, this 
or that, is not all things'and above all 
things. Now, behold, if God were 
fomething, this or that, he would not 
be all in all, and above all, as he is; 
and fo alfo. He would not be true Per- 
fection. Therefore God is, and yet he 
is neither this nor that which the crea- 
ture, as creature, can perceive, name, 
conceive or exprefs. Therefore if God 
(in fo far as He is good) were this or 
that good. He would not be all good, 
and therefore he would not be the One 
Perfedl Good, which He is. Now 
God is alfo a Light and a Reafon,^ the 
property of which is to give light and 
fhine, and take knowledge; and inaf- 
much as God is Light and Reafon, He 
muft give light and perceive. And 
all this giving and perceiving of light 

* Cognition is the word which comes neareft to the 
original Erkenntnifs^ but would not harmonize with the 
ftyle of the tranllation. 



1 04 Theologia Germanica. 

exifteth in God without the creature; 
not as a work fulfilled, but as a fub- 
ftance or well-fpring. But for it to 
flow out into a work, fomething really 
dion^ and accompliilied,* there muft be 
creatures through whom this can come 
to pafs. Look ye: where this Reafon 
and Light is at work in a creature, it 
perceiveth and knoweth and teacheth 
what itfelf is; how that it is good in 
itfelf and neither this thing nor that 
thing. This Light and Reafon know- 
eth and teacheth men, that it is a true, 
fimple, perfed: Good, which is neither 
this nor that fpecial good, but compre- 
hended every kind of good. 

Now, having declared that this Light 
teacheth the One Good, what doth it 
teach concerning it? Give heed to 
this. Behold! even as God is the one 
Good, and Light and Reafon, {o is He 
alfo Will and Love and Juftice and 
Truth, and in fhort all virtues. But 

* Or, be realized. 



Theologia Ger?nanka. 105 

all thefe are in God one Subftance, and 
none of them can be put in exercife and 
wrought out into deeds without the 
creature, for in God, without the crea- 
ture, they are only as a Subftance or 
well-fpring, not as a work. But where 
the One, who is yet all thefe, layeth 
hold of a creature, and taketh poffeffion 
of it, and diredieth and maketh ufe of 
it, io that he may perceive in it fome- 
what of His own, behold, in fo far as 
He is Will and Love, He is taught of 
Himfelf, feeing that He is alfo Light 
and Reafon, and He willeth nothing 
but that One thing which He is. 

Behold! in fuch a creature, there is 
no longer anything willed or loved but 
that which is good, becaufe it is good, 
and for no other reafon than that it is 
good, not becaufe it is this or that, or 
pleafeth or difpleafeth fuch a one, is 
pleafant or painful, bitter or fweet, or 
what not. All this is not afked about 
nor looked at. And fuch a creature 



1 06 "Theologia Germanka. 

doth nothing for its own fake, or in 
its own name, for it hath quitted all 
Self, and Me, and Mine, and We and 
Ours, and the like, and thefe are de- 
parted. It no longer faith, *'I love 
myfelf, or this or that, or what not/' 
And if you were to afk Love, ^'what 
loveft thou?" fhe would anfwer, '^I 
love Goodnefs/' *^ Wherefore?" ^^Be- 
caufe it is good, and for the fake of 
Goodnefs." So it is good and juft and 
right to deem that if there were aught 
better than God, that muft be loved 
better than God. And thus God loveth 
not Himfelf as Himfelf, but as Good- 
nefs. And if there were, and He knew, 
ought better than God, He would love 
that and not Himfelf. Thus the Self 
and the Me are wholly fundered from 
God, and belong to Him only in fo far 
as they are neceifary for Him to be a 
Perfon. 

Behold! all that we have faid muft 
indeed come to pafs in a godlike man. 



Theologia Ge7^7na7^ica. 107 

or one who is truly ^^made a partaker 
of the divine nature;" for elfe he would 
not be truly fuch. 



CHAP, XXXIII. 

How when a Man is made truly godlike y his 
Love is 'pure and unmixed ^ and he loveth 
all Creatures y and doth his bejl for them. 

TTENCE it followeth, that in a truly 
godlike man, his love is pure and 
unmixed, and full of kindnefs, infomuch 
that he cannot but love in iincerity all 
men and things, and wifh well, and do 
good to them, and rejoice in their wel- 
fare. Yea, let them do what they will 
to fuch a man, do him wrong or kind- 
nefs, bear him love or hatred or the 
like, yea, if one could kill fuch a man a 
hundred times over, and he always came 
to life again, he could not but love the 
very man who had fo often flain him, 
although he had been treated fo unjuft- 
ly, and wickedly, and cruelly by him. 



io8 Theologia Germanica. 

and could not but wifh well, and do 
well to him, and ihow him the very 
greateft kindnefs in his power, if the 
other would but only receive and take 
it at his hands. The proof and witnefs 
whereof may be feen in Chrift; for he 
faid to Judas, when he betrayed him: 
^'Friend, wherefore art thou come?'" 
Juft as if he had faid: *^Thou hateft 
me, and art mine enemy, yet I love 
thee, and am thy friend. Thou de- 
lireft and rejoiceft in my afflidlion, and 
doft the worft thou canft unto me; yet 
I defire and wifh thee all good, and 
would fain give it thee, and do it for 
thee, if thou wouldft but take and re- 
ceive it." As though God in human 
nature were faying: ^^I am pure, lim- 
ple Goodnefs, and therefore I cannot 
will, or defire, or rejoice in, or do or 
give anything but goodnefs. If I am 
to reward thee for thy evil and wick- 
ednefs, I muft do it with goodnefs, for 
I am and have nothing elfe.'' Hence 



Theologia Ger7na7ttca. 109 

therefore God, in a man who is ^^made 
partaker of His nature/' delireth and 
taketh no revenge for all the wrong 
that is or can be done unto him. This 
we fee in Chrift, when he faid: ^^ Fa- 
ther, forgive them, for they know not 
what they do." 

Likewife it is God's property that 
He doth not conftrain any by force to 
do or not to do anything, but He al- 
loweth every man to do and leave un- 
done according to his will, whether it 
be good or bad, and refifteth none. 
This too we fee in Chrift, who would 
not refift or defend himfelf when his 
enemies laid hands on him. And when 
Peter would have defended him, he 
faid unto Peter: ^'Put up thy fword 
into the fheath: the cup which my Fa- 
ther hath given me, shall I not drink 
it?" Neither may a man who is made 
a partaker of the divine nature, opprefs 
or grieve any one. That is, it never 
entereth into his thoughts, or intents. 



no Theologia Germanica. 

or wifhes, to cauie pain or diftrefs to 
any, either by deed or negledl, by 
fpeech or (ilence. 



CHAP. XXXIV. 

How that if a Man will attain to that which 
is hejt^ he mujt for/wear his own Will; 
and he who helpeth a Man to his own Will 
helpeth him to the worft Thing he can. 

COME may fay: ''Now fince God 
willeth and delireth and doth the 
beft that may be to every one. He ought 
fo to help each man and order things 
for him, that they fhould fall out ac- 
cording to his will and fulfil his defires, 
fo that one might be a Pope, another a 
Bifhop, and fo forth/' Be aiTured, he 
who helpeth a man to his own will, 
helpeth him to the worft that he can. 
For the more a man followeth after 
his own felf-will, and self-will grow- 
eth in him, the farther off is he from 
God, the true Good, [for nothing 



burneth in hell but felf-will. There- 
fore it hath been faid, '' Put off thine 
own will, and there will be no hell."] 
Now God is very willing to help a 
man and bring him to that which is 
bell: in itfelf, and is of all things the 
befl for man. But to this end, all felf- 
will muft depart, as we have faid. 
And God would fain give man his help 
and counfel thereunto, for fo long as a 
man is feeking his own good, he doth 
not feek what is beft for hi'm, and will 
never find it. For a man's higheft 
good would be and truly is, that he 
fhould not feek himfelf nor his own 
things, nor be his own end in any re- 
fpedl, either in things fpiritual or things 
natural, but fhould feek only the praife 
and glory of God and His holy will. 
This doth God teach and admonijfh us. 
Let him therefore who wifheth that 
God fhould help him to what is beft, 
and beft for him, give diligent heed to 
God's counfels and teachings, and obey 



112 



T^heologia Germanka. 



His commandments; thus, and not elfe, 
will he have, and hath already, God's 
help. Now God teacheth and admon- 
ifheth man to forfake himfelf and all 
things, and to follow Him only. ^' For 
he who loveth his foul,'' * that is him- 
felf, and will guard it and keep it, *^he 
fhall lofe it;" that is, he who feeketh 
himfelf and his own advantage in all 
things, in fo doing lofeth his foul. 
"But hewhohateth his foul for my fake 
fhall keep 'it unto life eternal;" that is, 
he who forfaketh himfelf and his own 
things, and giveth up his own will, and 
fuliilleth God's will, his foul will be 
kept and preferved unto Life Eternal. 

* Mark vill. 35. Our authorized verfion ufes the word 
"life," in this verfe, but as that would not quite bring out 
the force of the original, I have ventured to ufe the fame 
word for i^v%f) here, by which it is tranilated in the two 
fucceeding verfes. 

Except in this and another paflage, where in quoting 
John iii. 8. r:viv\xa is tranflated, as in Luther's verfion, 
Sfirit inftead of Wind, our authorized verfion has been 
always adhered to. — Tr. 



Theologia Germanka. 1 1 3 



CHAP. XXXV. 

How there is deep and true Humility and 
Poornejs of Spirit in a Man who is ^^made 
a Partaker of the Divine Nature.'' 

TV/rOREOVER, in a man who is 
^^made a partaker of the divine 
nature," there is a thorough and deep 
humihty, and where this is not, the 
man hath not been *^made a partaker 
of the divine nature." So Chrift taught 
in words and fulfilled in works. And 
this humility fpringeth up in the man, 
becaufe in the true Light he feeth (as 
it alfo really is) that Subftance, Life, 
Perceiving, Knowledge, Power, and 
what is thereof, do all belong to the 
True Good, and not to the creature; 
but that the creature of itfelf is noth- 
ing and hath nothing, and that when 
it turneth itfelf afide from the True 
Good in will or in works, nothing is 
left to it but pure evil. And therefore 



114 T^heologia Germanica. 

it is true to the very letter, that the 
creature, as creature, hath no worthi- 
nefs in itfelf, and no right to anything, 
and no claim over any one, either over 
God or over the creature, and that it 
ought to give itfelf up to God and fub- 
mit to Him becaufe this is juft. And 
this is the chiefeft and moft vs^eighty 
matter. 

Now, if we ought to be, and deiire 
to be, obedient and fubmit unto God, 
we muft alfo fubmit to what we receive 
at the hands of any of his creatures, or 
our fubmiffion is all falfe. From this 
latter article floweth true humility, as 
indeed it doth alfo from the former.* 
And unlefs this verily ought to be, and 
were wholly agreeable to God's juf- 
tice, Chrift would not have taught it 
in words, and fulfilled it in his life. 
And herein there is a veritable mani- 
feftation of God ; and it is fo of a truth, 
that of God's truth and juftice this 

* Namely, God's having a right to our obedience. 



Theologia Germanica. 115 

creature fhall be fubjedl to God and all 
creatures, and no thing or perfon fhall 
be fubjed: or obedient to her. God 
and all the creatures have a right over 
her and to her, but fhe hath a right to 
nothing: flie is a debtor to all, and 
nothing is owing to her, io that fhe 
ihall be ready to bear all things from 
others, and alfo if needs be to do all 
things for others. And out of this 
groweth that poornefs of fpirit which 
Chrift faid: ^^Bleffed are the poor in 
fpirit'' (that is to fay, the truly hum- 
ble) ^^for theirs is the Kingdom of 
Heaven.'' All this hath Chrift taught 
in words and fulfilled with his life. 



ii6 Theologia Germanica. 



CHAP. XXXVL 

Hgw nothing is contrary to God hut Sin only ; 
and what Sin is in Kind and A^. 

PURTHER ye fhall mark: when it 
is faid that fuch a thing, or fuch a 
deed is contrary to God, or that fuch 
a thing is hateful to God and grieveth 
His Spirit, ye muft know that no crea- 
ture is contrary to God, or hateful or 
grievous unto Him, in fo far as it is, 
liveth, knoweth, hath power to do, or 
produce aught, and fo forth, for all this 
is not contrary to God. That an evil 
fpirit, or a man is, liveth, and the like, 
is altogether good and of God; for 
God is the Being of all that are, and 
the Life of all that live, and the Wif- 
dom of all the wife; for all things 
have their being more truly in God 
than in themfelves, and alfo their powers, 
knowledge, Hfe, and the reft; for if it 
were not fo,God would not be all good. 



And thus all creatures are good. Now 
what is good is agreeable to God and 
He will have it. Therefore it cannot 
be contrary to Him. 

But what then is there which is 
contrary to God and hateful to Him? 
Nothing but Sin. But what is Sin? 
Mark this : Sin is nothing elfe than that 
the creature willeth otherwife than God 
willeth, and contrary to Him. Each 
of us may fee this in himfelf ; for he 
who willeth otherwife than I, or whofe 
will is contrary to mine, is my foe ; but 
he who willeth the fame as I, is my 
friend, and I love him. It is even fo 
with God: and that is fin, and is con- 
trary to God, and hateful and grievous 
to Him. And he who willeth, fpeak- 
eth, or is filent, doeth or leaveth un- 
done, otherwife than as I will, is con- 
trary to me, and an oifence unto me. 
So it is alfo with God: when a man 
willeth otherwife than God, or con- 
trary to God, whatever he doeth or 



1 1 8 Theologia Germanica. 

leaveth undone, in fliort all that pro- 
ceedeth from him, is contrary to God, 
and is lin. And whatfoever Will will- 
eth otherwife than God, is againfl 
God's will. As Chrift faid: '*he who 
is not with me is againft me/' Here- 
by may each man fee plainly whether 
or not he be without fin, and whether 
or not he be committing fin, and what 
fin is, and how fin ought to be atoned 
for, and wherewith it may be healed. 
And this contradidlion to God's will is 
what we call, and is, difobedience. 
And therefore Adam, the I, the Self, 
Self-will, Sin, or the Old Man, the 
turning afide or departing from God, 
do all mean one and the fame thing. 



Theologia Germanka. 1 1 9 



CHAP. XXXVII. 

How in Gody as Gody there can neither he 
Grief y SorroWy Dijpleajurey nor the likey 
but how it is otherwife in a Man who is 
" made a Partaker of the Divine Nature.'' 

TN God, as Qod, neither forrow nor 
grief nor difpleafure can have place, 
and yet God is grieved on account of 
men's fins. Now fince grief cannot 
befall God without the creature, this 
Cometh to pafs where He is made man, 
or when He dwelleth in a godlike man. 
And there, behold, fin is fo hateful to 
God, and grieveth Him fo fore, that 
He would willingly fuffer agony and 
death, if one man's fins might be there- 
by wafhed out. And if He were aficed 
whether He would rather live and that 
fin fhould remain, or die and defiroy 
fin by His death. He would anfwer 
that He would a thoufand times rather 
die. For to God one man's fin is more 



I20 "Theologia Germanka. 

hateful, and grieveth Him worfe than 
His own agony and death. Now if 
one man's iin grieveth God fo fore, 
what muft the fins of all men do? 
Hereby ye may confider, how greatly 
man grieveth God with his fins. 

And therefore where God is made 
man, or when He dwelleth in a truly 
godlike man, nothing is complained of 
but fin, and nothing elfe is hateful; for 
all that is, and is done, without fin, is as 
God will have it, and is His. But the 
mourning and forrow of a truly god- 
like man on account of fin, mufi; and 
ought to lafi: until death, fhould he 
live till the day of judgment, or forever. 
From this caufe arofe that hidden an- 
guifh of Chrift, of which none can tell 
or knoweth aught fave himfelf alone, 
and therefore it is called a myftery. 

Moreover, this is an attribute of 
God, which He will have, and is well 
pleafed to fee in a man; and it is in- 
deed God's own, for it belongeth not 



Theologia Germanka. 121 

unto the man, he cannot make fin to 
be fo hateful to himfelf. And where 
God findeth this grief for fin, he loveth 
and efi:eemeth it more than aught elfe ; 
becaufe it is, of all things, the bitterefi; 
and/addefi: that man can endure. 

All that is here written touching this 
divine attribute, which God will have 
man to pofi^efs, that it may be brought 
into exercife in a living foul, is taught 
us by that true Light, which alfo 
teacheth the man in whom this god- 
like forrow worketh, not to take it 
unto himfelf, any more than if he 
were not there. For fuch a man 
feeleth in himfelf that he hath not 
made it to fpring up in his heart, and 
that it is none of his, but belongeth to 
God alone. 



122 Theologia Germanica. 



CHAP. XXXVIII. 

How we are to put on the Life of Chriji 
from Love^ and not for the fake of Reward^ 
and how we muft never grow carelefs con- 
cerning ity or caft it off. 

]^T0W, wherever a man hath been 
made a partaker of the divine 
nature, in him is fulfilled the befl and 
nobleft life, and the v^orthieft in God's 
eyes, that hath been or can be. And 
of that eternal love which loveth Good- 
nefs as Goodnefs and for the fake of 
Goodnefs, a true, noble, Chrift-like 
life is fo greatly beloved, that it will 
never be forfaken or caft off. Where 
a man hath tafted this life, it is impof- 
fible for him ever to part with it, were 
he to live until the Judgment Day. 
And though he muft die a thoufand 
deaths, and though all the fufferings 
that ever befel all creatures could be 
heaped upon him, he would rather 



"Theologia Gerfnanka. 123 

undergo them all, than fall away from 
this excellent life; and if he could ex- 
change it for an angel's life, he would not. 
This is our anfwer to the queftion, 
*^if a man, by putting on Chrift's life, 
can get nothing more than he hath 
already, and ferve no end, what good 
will it do him?" This life is not 
chofen in order to ferve any end, or to 
get anything by it, but for love of its 
noblenefs, and becaufe God loveth and 
efteemeth it fo greatly. And whoever 
faith that he hath had enough of it, 
and may now lay it afide, hath never 
tafted nor known it; for he who hath 
truly felt or tafted it, can never give it 
up again. And he who hath put on 
the life of Chrift with the intent to 
win or deferve aught thereby, hath 
taken it up as an hireling and not for 
love, and is altogether without it. For 
he who doth not take it up for love, 
hath none of it at all; he may dream 
indeed that he hath put it on, but he 




is deceived. Chrift did not lead fuch 
a life as his for the fake of reward, but 
out of love; and love maketh fuch a 
life light and taketh away all its hard- 
fhips, fo that it becometh fweet and is 
gladly endured. But to him who hath 
not put it on from love, but hath done 
fo, as he dreameth, for the fake of re- 
ward, it is utterly bitter and a weari- 
nefs, and he would fain be quit of it. 
And it is a fure token of an hireling that 
he wifheth his work were at an end. 
But he who truly loveth it, is not of- 
fended at its toil nor fuffering, nor the 
length of time it lafteth. Therefore 
it is written, *^to ferve God and live to 
Him, is eafy to him who doeth it/' 
Truly it is fo to him who doth it for 
love, but it is hard and wearifome to 
him who doth it for hire. It is the 
fame with all virtue and good works, 
and likewife with order, laws, obedience 
to precepts, and the like. But God re- 
joiceth more over one man who truly 
loveth, than over a thoufand hirelings. 



Theologia Ger7nanica. 1 2 5 



CHAP. XXXIX. 

How God will have Order ^ Cuftom, Meqfure^ 
and the like in the Creature^ feeing that 
he cannot have them without the Creature y 
and of fmr forts of Men who are concerned 
with this Order y Law^ and Cuftom. 

TT is faid, and truly, God is above and 
without cuftom, meafure, and or- 
der, and yet giveth to all things their 
cuftom, order, meafure, fitnefs, and the 
like. The which is to be thus under- 
ftood, God will have all thefe to be, 
and they cannot have a being in Him- 
felf without the creature, for in God, 
apart from the creature, there is nei- 
ther order nor diforder, cuftom nor 
chance, and fo forth; therefore he will 
have things fo that thefe fhall be, and 
fhall be put in exercife. For wherever 
there is word, work, or change, thefe 
muft be either according to order, cuf- 
tom, meafure and fitnefs, or according 



126 Theologia Germanka. 

to unfitnefs and diforder. Now fitnefs 
and order are better and nobler than 
their contraries. 

But ye mull: mark: There are four 
forts of men who are concerned with 
order, laws, and cuftoms. Some keep 
them neither for God's fake, nor to 
ferve their own ends, but from con- 
ftraint; thefe have as little to do with 
them as may be, and find them a bur- 
den and heavy yoke. The fecond fort 
obey for the fake of reward: thefe are 
men who know nothing befide, or bet- 
ter than, laws and precepts, and imagine 
that by keeping them they may obtain 
the kingdom of Heaven and Eternal 
Life, and. not otherwife; and him who 
pradlifeth many ordinances they think 
to be holy, and him who omitteth any 
tittle of them they think to be loft. 
Such men are very much in earneft 
and give great diligence to the work, 
and yet they find ir a wearinefs. The 
third fort are wicked, falfe-hearted 



men, who dream and declare that they 
are perfed: and need no ordinances, and 
make a mock of them. 

The fourth are thofe who are en- 
lightened with the True Light, who 
do not pradlife thefe things for reward, 
for. they neither look nor defire to get 
anything thereby, but all that they do 
is from love alone. And thefe are not 
fo anxious and eager to accomplifh 
much and with all fpeed as the fecond 
fort, but rather feek to do things in 
peace and good leifure; and if fome 
not weighty matter be neglected, they 
do not therefore think themfelves loft, 
for they know very well that order and 
fitnefs are better than diforder, and 
therefore they choofe to walk orderly, 
yet know at the fame time that their 
falvation hangeth not thereon. There- 
fore they are not in fo great anxiety 
as the others. Thefe men are judged 
and blamed by both the other parties, 
for the hirelings fay that they negledl 



128 Theologia Germanica. 

their duties and accufe them of being 
unrighteous, and the like; and the 
others, (that is, the Free Spirits,*) hold 
them in derifion, and fay that they 
cleave unto weak and beggarly ele- 
ments, and the like. But thefe en- 
lightened men keep the middle path, 
which is alfo the befl; for a lover of 
God is better and dearer to him than 
a hundred thoufand hirelings. It is 
the fame with all their doings. 

Furthermore, ye muft mark, that to 
receive God's commands and his coun- 
fel and all his teaching, is the privi- 
lege of the inward man, after that he 
is united with God. And where there 
is fuch a union, the outward man is 
furely taught and ordered by the inward 
man, fo that no outward command- 
ment or teaching is needed. But the 
commandments and laws of men belong 
to the outer man, and are needful for 

* This is evidently an allulion to the " Brethren of the 
Free Spirit/' mentioned in the Hiftorical Introdudion. 



Theologia Germanka. 129 

thofe men who know nothing better, 
for elfe they would not know what to 
do and what to refrain -from, and 
would become like unto the dogs or 
other beafts. 



CHAP. XL. 

A good Account of the Falfe Light and its Kind. 

'^'OW I have faid that there is a 
^ Falfe Light; but I muft tell you 
more particularly what it is, and what 
belongeth thereunto. Behold, all that 
is contrary to the True Light belongeth 
unto the Falfe. To the True Light 
it belongeth of neceffity, that it feek- 
eth not to deceive, nor confenteth that 
any fhould be wronged or deceived, 
neither can it be deceived. But the 
falfe is deceived and a delufion, and 
deceiveth others along with itfelf. 
For God deceiveth no man, nor will- 
eth that any fhould be deceived, and 
fo it is with His True Light. Now 



130 Theologia Germanka. 

mark, the True Light is God or divine, 
but the Falfe light is Nature or natural. 
Now it belongeth to God, that He is 
neither this nor that, neither willeth 
nor delireth, nor feeketh anything in 
the man whom he hath made a par- 
taker of the divine nature, fave good- 
nefs as Goodnefs, and for the fake of 
Goodnefs. This is the token of the 
True Light. But to the Creature and 
Nature it belongeth to be fomewhat, 
this or that, and to intend and feek 
fome thing, this or that, and not Amply 
what is good without any Wherefore. 
And as God and the True Light are 
without all felf-will, felfifhnefs, and 
felf-feeking, fo do the I, the Me, the 
Mine, and the like, belong unto the 
natural and falfe Light; for in all things 
it feeketh itfelf and its own ends, rather 
than Goodnefs for the fake of Good- 
nefs. This is its property, and the 
property of nature or the carnal man 
in each of us. 



Theologia Germanica. 1 3 1 

Now mark how it firft cometh to 
be deceived. It doth not deiire nor 
choofe Goodnefs as Goodnefs, and for 
the fake of Goodnefs, but deiireth and 
choofeth itfelf and its own ends, rather 
than the Higheft Good ; and this is an 
error, and is the firft deception. 

Secondly, it dreameth itfelf to be 
that which it is not, for it dreameth 
itfelf to be God, and is truly nothing 
but nature. And becaufe it imagineth 
itfelf to be God, it taketh to itfelf 
what belongeth to God; and not that 
which is God's, when He is made man, 
or dwelleth in a godlike man, but that 
which is God's, and belongeth unto 
Him, as He is in eternity, without the 
creature. For, as it is faid, God need- 
eth nothing, is free, not bound to work, 
apart by himfelf, above all things, and 
fo forth (which is all true;) and God 
is unchangeable, not to be moved by 
anything, and is without confcience, 
and what He doeth that is well done; 



132 Theologia Germanica. 

"So will I be," faith the Falfe Light, 
"for the more like God one is, the 
better one is, and therefore I will be 
like God and will be God, and will lit 
and go and ftand at His right hand:'' 
as Lucifer the Evil Spirit alfo faid.* 
Now God in Eternity is without con- 
tradidlion, fuiFering and grief, and no- 
thing can hurt or vex him of all that 
is or befalleth. But with God, when 
He is made Man, it is otherwife. 

In a word: all that can be deceived 
is deceived by this Falfe Light. Now 
fince all is deceived by this Falfe Light 
that can be deceived, and all that is 
creature and nature, and all that is not 
God nor of God, may be deceived, and 
fince this Falfe Light itfelf is nature, 
it is pofTible for it to be deceived. And 
therefore it becometh and is deceived 
by itfelf, in that it rifeth and climbeth 
to fuch a height that it dreameth itfelf 
to be above nature, and fancieth it to 

* Ifaiah xlv. 13, 14. 



Theologia Germanica. 133 

be impoffible for nature or any creature 
to get fo high, and therefore it cometh 
to imagine itfelf God. And hence it 
taketh unto itfelf all that belongeth 
unto God, and fpecially what is His as 
He is in Eternity, and not as He is 
made man. Therefore it thinketh and 
declareth itfelf to be above all works, 
words, cuftoms, laws and order, and 
above that life which Chrift led in the 
body which he poiTefTed in his holy 
human nature. So likewife it profef- 
feth to remain unmoved by any of the 
creature's works; whether they be good 
or evil, againfl: God or not, is all alike 
to it; and it keepeth itfelf apart from 
all things, like God in Eternity, and all 
that belongeth to God and to no crea- 
ture it taketh unto itfelf, and vainly 
dreameth that this belongeth unto it; 
and deemeth itfelf well worthy of all 
this, and that it is juft and right that 
all creatures fhould ferve it, and do it 
homage. And thus no contradidlion, 



134 Theologia Germanka. 

fuiFering or grief is left unto it; indeed 
nothing but a mere bodily and carnal 
perceiving: this muft remain until the 
death of the body, and what fuffering 
may accrue therefrom. Furthermore, 
this Falfe Light imagineth, and faith, 
that it has got beyond Chrifl's life in 
the fiefh, and that outward things have 
lofl all power to touch it or give it 
pain, as it was with Chrift after his re- 
furred:ion, together with many other 
ftrange and falfe conceits which arife 
and grow up from thefe. 

And now fince this Falfe Light is 
nature, it poffeffeth the property of na- 
ture, which is to intend and feek itfelf 
and its own in all things, and what 
may be moft expedient, eafy and plea- 
fant to nature and itfelf. And becaufe 
it is deceived, it imagineth and pro- 
claimeth it to be beft that each fhould 
feek and do what is beft for himfelf. 
It refufeth alfo to take knowledge of 
any Good but its own, that which 



Theologia Gerfnanica. 135 

it vainly fancieth to be Good. And if 
one fpeak to it of the One, true, ever- 
lafiing Good, which is neither this nor 
that, it knoweth nothing thereof, and 
thinketh fcorn of it. And this is not 
unreafonable, for nature as nature can- 
not attain thereunto. Now this Falfe 
Light is merely nature, and therefore 
it cannot attain thereunto. 

Further, this Falfe Light faith that 
it hath got above confcience and the 
fenfe of fin, and that whatever it doeth 
is right. Yea, it was faid by fuch a 
falfe free fpirit, who w^as in this error, 
that if he had killed ten men he fhould 
have as little fenfe of guilt as if he had 
killed a dog. Briefly: this falfe and 
deceived Light fleeth all that is harih 
and contrary to nature, for this belong- 
eth to it, feeing that it is nature. And 
feeing alfo that it is fo utterly deceived 
as to dream that it is God, it were rea- 
dy to fwear by all that is holy, that it 
knoweth truly what is beft, and that 

P 



1 3 6 Theologia Germanica. 

both in belief and practice it hath 
reached the very fummit. For this 
caufe it cannot be converted or guided 
into the right path, even as it is with 
the Evil Spirit. 

Mark further: in fo far as this Light 
imagineth itfelf to be God and taketh 
his attributes unto itfelf, it is Lucifer, 
the Evil Spirit; but in fo far as it fet- 
teth at nought the life of Chrift, and 
other things belonging to the True 
Light, vv^hich have been taught and 
fulfilled by Chrift, it is Antichrift, for 
it teacheth contrary to Chrift. And 
as this Light is deceived by its own 
cunning and difcernment, fo all that is 
not God, or of God, is deceived by it, 
that is, all men who are not enlighten- 
ed by the True Light and its love. 
For all who are enlightened by the 
True Light can never more be de- 
ceived, but whofo hath it not and 
choofeth to walk by the Falfe Light, 
he is deceived. 



Theologia Gennanica. 1 37 

This Cometh herefrom, that all men 
in whom the True Light is not, are 
bent upon themfelves, and think much 
of themfelves, and feek and propofe 
their own ends in all things, and what- 
ever is moft pleafant and convenient to 
themfelves they hold to be beft. And 
whofo declareth the fame to ' be beft, 
and helpeth and teacheth them to attain 
it, him they follow after, and maintain 
to be the beft and wifeft of teachers* 
Now the Falfe Light teacheth them 
this very do6trine, and fhoweth them 
all the means to come by their deiire; 
therefore all thofe follow after it, who 
know not the True Light. And thus 
they are together deceived. 

It is faid of Antichrift, that when he 
Cometh, he who hath not the feal of 
God in his forehead, followeth after 
him, but as many as have the feal fol- 
low not after him. This agreeth with 
what hath been faid. It is indeed true, 
that it is good for a man that he fhould 



138 Theologia Gerfnanka. 

deiire, or come by his own good. But 
this cannot come to pafs fo long as a 
man is feeking, or purpofing his own 
good; for if he is to find and come by 
his own highefl good, he mufl lofe it 
that he may find it. [As Chrift faid: 
"He who loveth his hfe ihall lofe it.'' 
That is; he fhall forfake and die to the 
defires of the flefh, and fhall not obey 
his own will nor the lufts of the body, 
but obey the commands of God and 
thofe who are in authority over him, 
and not feek his own, either in fpiritual 
or natural things, but only the praife 
and glory of God in all things. For 
he who thus lofeth his life fhall find it 
again in Eternal Life. That is : all the 
^goodnefs, help, comfort, and joy which 
are in the creature, in heaven or on 
earth, a true lover of God findeth com- 
prehended in God Himfelf; yea, un- 
fpeakably more, and as much nobler 
and more perfedl as God the Creator 
is better, nobler, and more perfedl than 



Theologia Ger^nanica. 139 

His creature. But by thefe excellen- 
cies in the creature the Falfe Light is 
deceived, and feeketh nothing but itfelf 
and its own in all things. Therefore 
it Cometh never to the right w^ay.] 

Further, this Falfe Light faith, that 
we fhould be without confcience or 
fenfe of fin, and that it is a weaknefs 
and folly to have anything to do with 
them : and this it will prove by faying 
that Chrift was without confcience and 
fenfe of fin. We may anfwer and fay: 
Satan is alfo without them, and is none 
the better for that. Mark what a fenfe 
of fin is. It is that we perceive how 
man has turned away from God in his 
will (this is what we call fin,) and that 
this is man's fault, not God's, for God 
is guiltlefs of fin. Now, who is there 
that knoweth himfelf to be free from 
fin fave Chrifi: alone? Scarcely will 
any other affirm this. Now he who 
is without fenfe of fin is either Chrifi: 
or the Evil Spirit. 



140 Theologia Germanica. 

Briefly : where this True Light is, 
there is a true, juft life fuch as God loveth 
and efteemeth. And if the man's Kfe 
is not perfed: as Chrift's was, yet it is 
framed and builded after his, and his life 
is loved, together with all that agreeth 
with decency, order, and all other vir- 
tues, and all Self-will, I, Mine, Me, and 
the like, is loft; nothing is purpofed or 
fought but Goodnefs, for the fake of 
Goodnefs, and as Goodnefs. But where 
that Falfe Light is, there men become 
heedlefs of Chrift's life and all virtue, 
and feek and intend whatever is conve- 
nient and pleafant to nature. From 
this arifeth a falfe, licentious freedom, 
fo that men grow regardlefs and carelefs 
of everything. For the True Light is 
God's feed, and therefore it bringeth 
forth the fruits of God. And fo like wife 
the Falfe Light is the feed of the Devil: 
and where that is fown, the fruits of 
the Devil fpring up — nay, the very De- 
vil himfelf. This ye may underftand 
by giving heed to what hath been faid. 



Theologia Germanica. 141 



CHAP. XLI. 

How that he is to be called^ and is truly ^ a 
Partaker of the Divine Nature^ who is 
illuminated with the Divine Lights and 
inflamed with Eternal Love^ and how 
Light and Knowledge are worth nothing 
without Love. 

COME may afk, *'What is it to be 
*a partaker of the divine nature/ 
or a godlike man?'" Anfwer: he who 
is imbued with or illuminated by the 
Eternal or divine Light, and inflamed 
or confumed with Eternal or divine 
love, he is a godlike man and a parta- 
ker of the divine nature; and of the 
nature of this True Light we have faid 
fomewhat already. 

But ye muft kndw that this Light or 
knowledge is worth nothing without 
Love. This ye may fee if ye call to 
mind, that though a man may know 
very well what is virtue or wickednefs, 
yet if he doth not love virtue, he is not 



142 Theologia Germanka, 

virtuous, for he obeyeth vice. But if 
he loveth virtue he follow^eth after it, 
and his love maketh him an enemy to 
v^ickednefs, fo that he v^ill not do or 
pradife it, and hateth it alfo in other 
men; and he loveth virtue fo that he 
would not leave a virtue unpraftifed 
even if he might, and this for no re- 
w^ard, but fimply for the love of virtue. 
And to him virtue is its ow^n reward, 
and he is content therewith, and would 
take no treafure or riches in exchange 
for it. Such an one is already a virtu- 
ous man, or he is in the way to be fo. 
And he who is a truly virtuous man 
would not ceafe to be fo, to gain the 
whole world, yea, he would rather die 
a miferable death. 

It is the fame witih juftice. Many a 
man knoweth full well what is jufl or 
unjuft, and yet neither is nor ever will 
become a juft man. For he loveth 
not juftice, and therefore he worketh 
wickednefs and injuftice. If he loved 



Theologia Germanka. 143 

juftice, he would not do an unjuft thing; 
for he would feel fuch hatred and in- 
dignation towards injuftice wherever 
he faw it, that he would do or fuffer 
anything that injuftice might be put an 
end to, and men might become juft. 
And he would rather die than do an 
injuftice, and all this for nothing but 
the love of juftice. And to him, juf- 
tice is her own reward, and rewardeth 
him with herfelf ; and fo there liveth 
a juft man, and he would rather die a 
thoufand times over than live as an un- 
juft man. It is the fame with truth: 
a man may know full well what is true 
or a lie, but if he loveth not the truth 
he is not a true man; but if he loveth, 
it is with truth even as with juftice. 
Of juftice fpeaketh Ifaiah in the 5th 
chapter: **Woe unto them that call 
evil good, and good evil; that put dark- 
nefs for light, and light for darknefs; 
that put bitter for fweet, and fweet for 
bitter!" 



144 Theologia Germanica. 

Thus may we perceive that knowl- 
edge and light profit nothing without 
Love, We fee this in the Evil Spirit; 
he perceiveth and knoweth good and 
evil, right and wrong, and the like ; but 
fince he hath no love for the good that 
he feeth, he becometh not good, as he 
would if he had any love for the truth 
and other virtues which he feeth. It 
is indeed true that Love muft be guid- 
ed and taught of Knowledge, but if 
Knowledge be not followed by Love, it 
will avail nothing. It is the fame with 
God and divine things. Let a man 
know much about God and divine 
things, nay, dream that he feeth and 
underftandeth what God himfelf is, if 
he have not Love, he will never become 
like unto God, or a ^* partaker of the 
divine nature.'* But if there be true 
Love along with his knowledge, he 
cannot but cleave to God, and forfake 
all that is not God or of Him, and 
hate it and fight againft it, and find it 
a crofs and a for row. 



Theologia Germanka. 145 

And this Love fo maketh a man one 
with God, that he can never more be 
feparatcd from Him. 



CHAP. XUI. 

A ^eftion: whether we can know God and 
not love Him^ and how there are two kinds 
cf Light and Love— a true and a falje. 

TTERE is an honeft queftion; name- 
ly, it hath been faid that he who 
knoweth God and loveth Him not, will 
never be faved by his knowledge; the 
which founds as if we might know God 
and not love Him. Yet we have faid 
elfewhere, that where God is known. 
He is alfo loved, and whofoever know- 
eth God muft love Him. How may 
thefe things agree? Here ye muft 
mark one thing. We have fpoken of 
two Lights — a True and a Falfe. So 
alfo there are two kinds of Love, a 
True and a Falfe. And each kind of 
Love is taught or guided by its own 



146 Theologia Germantea. 

kind of Light or Reafon. Now, the 
True Light maketh True Love, and 
the Falfe Light maketh Falfe Love; 
for w^hatever Light deemeth to be beft, 
fhe deUvereth unto Love as the beft, 
and biddeth her love it, and Love obey- 
eth, and fulfilleth her commands. 

Now, as we have faid, the Falfe 
Light is natural, and is nature herfelf. 
Therefore every property belongeth 
unto it which belongeth unto nature, 
fuch as the Me, the Mine, the Self, 
and the like; and therefore it muft 
needs be deceived in itfelf and be falfe; 
for no I, Me, or Mine, ever came to 
the True Light or knowledge unde- 
ceived, fave once only; to wit, in God 
made Man. And if we are to come to 
the knowledge of the fimple Truth, all 
thefe muft depart and periih. And in 
particular it belongeth to the natural 
Light that it would fain know or learn 
much, if it were poffible, and hath 
great pleafure, delight and glorying in 



Theologia Germanica. 147 

its difcernment and knowledge; and 
therefore it is always longing to know 
more and more, and never cometh to 
reft and fatisfadtion, and the more it 
learneth and knoweth, the more doth 
it delight and glory therein. And when 
it hath come fo high, that it thinketh 
to know all things and to be above all 
things, it ftandeth on its higheil pin- 
nacle of delight and glory, and then it 
holdeth Knowledge to be the beft and 
nobleft of all things, and therefore it 
teacheth Love to love knowledge and 
difcernment as the beft and moft excel- 
lent of all things. Behold, then knowl- 
edge and difcernment come to be more 
loved than that which is difcerned, for 
the falfe natural Light loveth its knowl- 
edge and powers, which are itfelf, more 
than that which is known. And were 
it poffible that this falfe natural Light 
fhould underftand the fimple Truth, as 
it is in God and in truth, it ftill would 
not lofe its own property, that is, it 



148 Theologia Germanica. 

would not depart from itfelf and its own 
things. Behold, in this fenfe there is 
knowledge, without the love of that 
which is or may be known. 

Alfo this Light rifeth and climbeth 
fo high that it vainly thinketh that it 
knoweth God and the pure, fimple 
Truth, and thus it loveth itfelf in Him. 
And it is true that God can be known 
only by God. Wherefore as this Light 
vainly thinketh to underftand God, it 
imagineth itfelf to be God, and giveth 
itfelf out to be God, and wifheth to be 
accounted fo, and thinketh itfelf to be 
above all things, and well worthy of all 
things, and that it hath a right to all 
things, and hath got beyond all things, 
fuch as commandments, laws, and vir- 
tue, and even beyond Chrifl: and aChrif- 
tian life, and fetteth all thefe at nought, 
for it doth not fet up to be Chrift, but 
the Eternal God. And this is becaufe 
Chrift's life is diftafteful and burden- 
fome to nature, therefore fhe will have 



"Theologia Ger7nanica. 149 

nothing to do with it; but to be God 
in eternity and not man, or to be Chrift 
as he was after his refurredlion, is all 
eafy, and pleafant, and comfortable to 
nature, and fo fhe holdeth it to be beft. 
Behold, with this falfe and deluded Love, 
fomething maybe known without being 
loved, for the feeing and knowing is 
more loved than that which is known. 
Further, there is a kind of learning 
which is called knowledge; to wit, 
when, through hearfay, or reading, or 
great acquaiiitance with Scripture, 
fome fancy themfelves to know much, 
and call it knowledge, and* fay, '^I 
know this or that/' And if you ajfk, 
*'How doft thou know it?" they an- 
fwer, ^^ I have read it in the Scriptures," 
and the like. Behold, this they call 
underftanding and knowing. Yet this 
is not knowledge, but belief, and many 
things are known and loved and feen 
only with this fort of perceiving and 
knowing. 



150 Theologia Germanica. 



There is alfo yet another kind of 
Love, which is efpecially falfe, to wit, 
when fomething is loved for the fake 
of a reward, as when juftice is loved 
not for the fake of juftice, but to obtain 
fomething thereby, and fo on. And 
where a creature loveth other creatures 
for the fake of fomething that they 
have, or loveth God, for the fake of 
fomething of her own, it is all falfe 
Love ; and this Love belongeth proper- 
ly to nature, for nature as nature can 
feel and know no other love than this; 
for if ye look narrowly into it, nature 
as nature loveth nothing belide herfelf. 
On this wife fomething may be feen 
to be good and not loved. 

But true Love is taught and guided 
by the true Light and Reafon, and this 
true, eternal and divine Light teacheth 
Love to love nothing but the one true 
and Perfedl Good, and that limply for 
its own fake, and not for the fake of a 
reward, or in the hope of obtaining any- 



Theologia Gennanica. 1 5 1 

thing, but fimply for the love of Good- 
nefs, becaufe it is good and hath a right 
to be loved. And all that is thus i^tn 
by the help oi the True Light muft 
alfo be loved of the True Love, Now, 
that Perfect Good, w^hich w^e call God, 
cannot be perceived but by the True 
Light; therefore He muft be loved 
wherever He is feen or made known. 



CHAP. XLHL 

Whereby we may know a Man who is made 
a partaker of the divine Nature^ and what 
helongeth unto him ; and further^ what is 
the token of a Falfe Lights and a Falfe 
Free- Thinker. 

PURTHER mark ye; that when the 
True Love and True Light are in 
a man, the Perfed: Good is known and 
loved for itfelf and as itfelf; and yet 
not fo that it loveth itfelf of itfelf and 
as itfelf, but the one True and Perfed: 
Good can and will love nothing elfe, 
q 



152 "Theologia Germanka. 

in fo far as it is in itfelf, fave the one, 
true Goodnefs. Now if this is itfelf, 
it muft love itfelf, yet not as itfelf nor 
as of itfelf, but in this wife: that the 
One true Good loveth the One Perfed: 
Goodnefs, and the One Perfedl Good- 
nefs is loved of the One, true and Per- 
fed: Good. And in this fenfe that fay- 
ing is true, that ^* God loveth not Him- 
felf as Himfelf." For if there were 
aught better than God, God would 
love that, and not Himfelf. For in 
this True Light and True Love there 
neither is nor can remain any I, Me, 
Mine, Thou, Thine, and the like, but 
that Light perceiveth and knoweththat 
there is a Good which is all Good 
and above all Good, and that all good 
things are of one Subftance in the one 
Good, and that without that One, 
there is no good thing. And therefore, 
where this Light is, the man's end and 
aim is not this or that. Me or Thee, or 
the like, but only the One, who is 



Theologia Ger?nanica. 153 

neither I nor Thou, this nor that, but 
is above all I and Thou, this and that; 
and in Him all Goodnefs is loved as 
One Good, acoording to that faying: 
"All in One as One, and One in All 
as All, and One and all Good, is loved 
through the One in One, and for the 
fake of the One, for the love that man 
hath to the One.'' 

Behold, in fuch a man mufl all 
thought of Self, all felf-feeking, felf- 
will, and what cometh thereof, be ut- 
terly loft and furrendered and given 
over to God, except in fo far as they 
are neceffary to make up a perfon. 
And whatever cometh to pafs in a man 
who is truly godlike, whether he do or 
fuffer, all is done in this Light and this 
Love, and from the fame, through the 
fame, unto the fame again. And in 
his heart there is a content and a quiet- 
nefs, fo that he doth not defire to know 
more or lefs, to have, to live, to die, 
to be, or not to be, or anything of the 



154 Theologia Germanica. 

kind; thefe become all one and alike 
to him, and he complaineth of nothing 
but of fin only. And what fin is, we 
have faid already, namely, to defire or 
will anything otherwife than the One 
Perfed: Good and the one Eternal Will, 
and apart from and contrary to them, 
or to wifh to have a will of one's own. 
And what is done of fin, fuch as lies, 
fraud, injuftice, treachery, andalliniqui- 
ty, in fhort, all that we call fin, cometh 
hence, that man hath another will 
than God and the True Good ; for were 
there no will but the One Will, no fin 
could ever be committed. Therefore 
we may well fay that all felf-will is fin, 
and there is no fin but what fpringeth 
therefrom. And this is the only thing 
which a truly godlike man complaineth 
of; but to him, this is fuch a fore pain 
and grief, that he would die a hundred 
deaths in agony and fhame, rather than 
endure it; and this his grief mufl laft 
until death, and where it is not, there 



Theologia Germanica. 155 

be fure that the man is not truly god- 
like, or a partaker of the divine nature. 

Now, feeing that in this Light and 
Love, all Good is loved in One and as 
One, and the One in all things, and in 
all things as One and as All, therefore 
all thofe things muft be loved that 
rightly are of good report; fuch as vir- 
tue, order, feemlinefs,juftice, truth, and 
the like; and all that belongeth to God 
in the true Good and is His own, is lov- 
ed and praifed; and all that is without 
this Good, and contrary to it, is a for- 
row and a pain, and is hated as fin, for 
it is of a truth fin. And he who liveth 
in the true Light and true Love, hath 
the beii, noblefi:, and worthiefi: life that 
ever was or will be, and therefore it 
cannot but be loved and praifed above 
any other life. This life was and is in 
Chrifi: to perfection, elfe he were not 
the Chrift. 

And the love wherewith the man 
loveth this noble life and all goodnefs. 



156 Theologia Germanica. 

* maketh, that all which he is called up- 
on to do, or fufFer, or pafs through, and 
which muft needs be, he doeth or en- 
dureth willingly and worthily, however 
hard it may be to nature. Therefore 
faith Chrift: *^My yoke is eafy, and 
my burden is light/'* This cometh 
of the love which loveth this admirable 
life. This we may fee in the beloved 
Apoftles and Martyrs; they fuffered 
willingly and gladly all that was done 
unto them, and never afked of God that 
their fuiFering and tortures might be 
made fhorter, or lighter or fewer, but 
only that they might remain fteadfaft 
and endure to the end. Of a truth 
all that is the fruit of divine Love in a 
truly godlike man is fo limple, plain 
and ftraightforward, that he can never 
properly give an account of it by writ- 
ing or by fpeech, but only fay that fo 
it is. And he who hath it not doth 
not even believe in it; how then can 
he come to know it? 

* Matt. xi. 30. 



T'heologia Gcrmanka. 157 

On the other hand, the Hfe of the 
natural man, where he hath a Hvely, 
fubtle, cunning nature is fo manifold 
and complex, and feeketh and invent- 
eth fo many turnings and windings and 
falfehoods for its own ends, and that fo 
continually, that this alfo is neither to 
be uttered nor fet forth. 

Now, fince all falfehood is deceived, 
and all deception beginneth in felf- 
deception, fo is it alfo with this falfe 
Light and Life, for he who deceiveth 
is alfo deceived, as we have faid before. 
And in this falfe Light and Life is 
found every thing that belongeth to the 
Evil Spirit and is his, infomuch that 
they cannot be difcerned apart; for the 
falfe Light is the Evil Spirit, and the 
Evil Spirit is this falfe Light. Hereby 
we may know this. For even as the 
Evil Spirit thinketh himfelf to be God, 
or would fain be God, or be thought 
to be God, and in all this is fo utterly 
deceived that he doth not think him- 



158 Theologia Germanka. 

felf to be deceived, fo is it alfo with 
this falfe Light, and the Love and Life 
that is thereof. And as the Devil 
would fain deceive all men, and draw 
them to himfelf and his works, and 
make them like himfelf, and ufeth 
much art and cunning to this end, fo 
is it alfo with this falfe Light; and as 
no one may turn the Evil Spirit from 
his own way, fo no one can turn this 
deceived and deceitful Light from its 
errors. And the caufe thereof is, th?" 
both thefe two, the Devil and Nature, 
vainly think that they are not deceived, 
and that it ftandeth quite well with 
them. And this is the very worft and 
moft mifchievous delufion. Thus the 
Devil and Nature are one, and where 
nature is conquered the Devil is alfo 
conquered, and in like manner where 
nature is not conquered the Devil is 
not conquered. Whether as touching 
the outward life in the world, or the 
inward life of the fpirit, this falfe Light 



Theologia Ger7nantca. 159 

continueth in its ftate of blindnefs and 
falfehood, fo that it is both deceived 
itself and deceiveth others with it, 
wherefoever it may. 

From what hath here been faid, ye 
may underfland and perceive more 
than hath been exprefflly fet forth. 
For whenever we fpeak of the Adam, 
and difobedience, and of the old man, 
of felf-feeking, felf-will, and felf- 
ferving, of the I, the Me, and the 
Mine, nature, falfehood, the Devil, 
fin; it is all one and the fame thing. 
Thefe are all contrary to God, and 
remain without God. 



i6o Theologia Germanica. 



CHAP. XLIV. 

How nothing is contrary to God but Self-willy 
and how he who Jeeketh his own Good for 
his own fakey findeth it not; and how a 
Man of himjelf neither knoweth nor can do 
any good thing. 

T^OW, it may be afked; is there 
ought which is contrary to God 
and the true Good? I fay. No. Like- 
wife there is nothing without God, ex- 
cept to will otherwife than is willed by 
the Eternal Will; that is, contrary to the 
Eternal Will. Now the Eternal Will 
willeth that nothing be willed or loved 
but the Eternal Goodnefs* And where 
it is otherwife, there is fomething con- 
trary to Him, and in this fenfe it is 
true that he who is without God is con- 
trary to God; but in truth there is no 
Being contrary to God or the true Good. 
We muft underftand it as though 
God faid: *'he who willeth without 



Theologia Germanka. i6i 

Me, or willeth not what I will, or 
otherwife than as I will, he willeth 
contrary to Me, for My will is that no 
one fhould will otherwife than I, and 
that there fhould be no will without 
Me, and without My will; even as 
without me, there is neither Subllance, 
nor Life, nor this, nor that, fo alfo there 
fhould be no Will apart from Me, and 
without My will/' And even as in 
truth all beings are one in fubflance in 
the Perfed: Being, and all good is one 
in the One Being, and fo forth, and 
cannot exift without that One, fo fhall 
all wills be one in the One PerfedlWill, 
and there fhall be no will apart from 
that One. And whatever is otherwife 
is wrong, and contrary to God and His 
will, and therefore it is fin. Therefore 
all will apart from God's will (that is, 
all self-will,) is fin, and fo is all that is 
done from lelf-will. So long as a man 
feeketh his own will and his own high- 
efl: Good, becaufe it is ///V, and for his 



1 62 Theologia Germanica. 

own fake, he will never find it; for fo 
long as he doeth this, he is not feeking 
his own highefl Good, and how then 
fhould he find it? For fo long as he 
doeth this, he feeketh himfelf, and 
dreameth that he is himfelf the higheft 
Good; and feeing that he is not the 
highefl Good, he feeketh not the high- 
efl Good, fo long as he feeketh himfelf. 
But whofoever feeketh, loveth, and 
purfueth Goodnefs as Goodnefs and for 
the fake of Goodnefs, and maketh that 
his end, for nothing but the love of 
Goodnefs, not for love of the I, Me, 
Mine, Self, and the like, he will find 
the higheft Good, for he feeketh it 
aright, and they who feek it otherwife 
do err. And truly it is on this wife 
that the true and Perfe6l Goodnefs 
feeketh and loveth and purfueth itfelf, 
and therefore it findeth itfelf. 

It is a great folly when a man, or 
any creature dreameth that he knoweth 
or can accomplifh aught of himfelf, and 



T'heologia Gennanica. 163 

above all when he dreameth that he 
knoweth or can fulfil any good thing, 
whereby he may deferve much at God's 
hands, and prevail with Him. If he 
underftood rightly, he would fee that 
this is to put a great afl?ront upon God. 
But the True and Perfedl Goodnefs 
hath companion on the foolifh fimple 
man who knoweth no better, and or- 
dereth things for the bell for him, and 
giveth him as much of the good things 
of God as he is able to receive. But 
as we have faid afore, he findeth and 
receiveth not the True Good fo long 
as he remaineth unchanged; for unlefs 
Self and Me depart, he will never find 
or receive it. 



164 Theologia Germanka. 



CHAP. XLV. 

How that where there is a Chrijiian Life, 
Chriji dwelleth^ and how Chrijl's Life is 
the bejt and mjt admirable Life that ever 
hath been or can be. 

TTE who knoweth and underftandeth 
Chrift's life, knoweth and under- 
ftandeth Chrift himfelf; and in like 
manner, he who underftandeth not his 
life, doth not underftand Chrift himfelf. 
And he who believeth on Chrift be- 
lieveth that his life is the beft and no- 
bleft life that can be, and if a man be- 
lieve not this, neither doth he believe 
on Chrift himfelf. And in fo far as a 
man's life is according to Chrift, Chrift 
himfelf dwelleth in him, and if he hath 
not the one neither hath he the other. 
For where there is the life of Chrift, 
there is Chrift himfelf, and where his 
life is not, Chrift is not, and where a 
man hath his life, he may fay with St. 



Theologia Germanka. 165 

Paul, ^'I live, yet not I, but Chriftliv- 
eth in me."^ And this is the nobleft 
and beft life; for in him who hath it, 
God Himfelf dwelleth, with all good- 
nefs. So how could there be a better 
life? When we fpeak of obedience, of 
the new man, of the True Light, the 
True Love, or the life of Chrift, it is 
all the fame thing, and where one of 
thefe is, there are they all, and where 
one is wanting, there is none of them, 
for they are all one in truth and fub- 
ftance. And whatever may bring about 
that new birth which maketh alive in 
Chrift, to that let us cleave with all our 
might and to nought elfe; and let us 
forfwear and flee all that may hinder it. 
And he who hath received this life in 
the Holy Sacrament, hath verily and 
indeed received Chrift, and the more 
of that life he hath received, the more 
he hath received of Chrift, and the lefs, 
the lefs of Chrift. 

* Galatlans ii. 20. 



1 66 Theologia Germanica. 



CHAP. XLVI. 

How entire Satisf action and true Reft are to 
be found in God alone ^ and not in any Crea- 
ture ; and bow he who will he obedient unto 
God^ mujt aljo be obedient to the Creatures^ 
with all Giuietnejsy and he who would love 
God^ muJt love all "Things in One. 

TT is faid, that he who is content to 
find all his fatisfadlion in God, hath 
enough; and this is true. And he who 
findeth fatisfadlion in aught which is 
this and that, findeth it not in God; 
and he who findeth it in God, findeth 
it in nothing elfe, but in that which 
is neither this nor that, but is All. 
For God is One and muft be One, 
and God is All and muft be All. 
And now what is, and is not One, is 
not God; and what is, and is not All 
and above All, is alfo not God, for God 
is One and above One, and All and 
above All. Now he who findeth full 



Theologia Germanica. 167 

fatisfadion in God, receiveth all his 
fatisfadiion from One fource, and from 
One only, as One. And a man can- 
not find all fatisfadlion in God, unlefs 
all things are One to him, and One is 
All, and fomething and nothing are 
alike. ^ But where it fhould be thus, 
there would be true fatisfacflion, and 
not elfe. 

Therefore alfo, he who will wholly 
commit himfelf unto God and be obe- 
dient to Him, muft alfo refign himfelf 
to all things, and be willing to fuifer 
them, without refifling or defending 
himfelf or calling for fuccor. And he 
who doth not thus refign or fubmit him- 
felf to all things in One as One, doth 
not refign or fubmit himfelf to God. 
Let us look at Chrifl:. And he who 
fhall and will lie fi:ill under God's hand, 
mufi; lie fiill under all things in One as 
One, and in no wife withfi:and any fuf- 

* Literally aught and nought, icht und nicht j but aught 
means any thing, the idea of the original is emphatically 
fomt thing, a part, not the whole, — Tr. 



1 68 Theologia Germanica. 

fering. Such an one were a Chrift. 
And he who iighteth againft afflidlion 
and refufeth to endure it, is truly fight- 
ing againfl: God. That is to fay, we 
may not withfland any creature or thing 
by force or war, either in will or works. 
But we may indeed without fin prevent 
affliction, or avoid it, or flee from it. 

Now, he who ihall or will love God, 
loveth all things in One as One and 
All, and One in All as All in One; and 
he who loveth fomewhat, this or that, 
otherwife than in the One, and for the 
fake of the One, loveth not God, for 
he loveth fomewhat which is not God. 
Therefore he loveth it more than God. 
Now he who loveth fomewhat more 
than God or along with God, loveth 
not God, for He muft be and will be 
alone loved, and verily nothing ought 
to be loved but God alone. And when 
the true divine Light and Love dwell 
in a man, he loveth nothing elfe but 
God alone, for he loveth God as Good- 



"Theologia Germanica. 169 

nefs, and for the fake of Goodnefs, and 
all Goodnefs as One, and One as-All; 
for, in truth. All is One and One is 
All in God. 



CHAP. XLVIi. 

A ^eftion ; Whether^ if we ought to love all 
1 kings ^ we ought to love Sin alfo? 

COME may put a queftion here and 
fay: *^If we are to love all things, 
muft we then love fin too?'' I anfwer : 
No. When I fay ^'all things,'' I mean 
all Good; and all that is, is good, in fo 
far as it hath Being. The Devil is good 
in fo far as he hath Being. In this fenfe 
nothing is evil, or not good. But fin 
is to will, defire, or love otherwife than 
as God doth. And Willing is not Be- 
ing, therefore it is not good. Nothing 
is good except in fo far as it is in God 
and with God. Now all things have 
their Being in God, and more truly in 
God than in themfelves, and therefore 
all things are good in io far as they have 



170 "Theologia Germanica. 

a Being, and if there were aught that 
had not its Being in God, it would not 
be good- Now behold, the wilHng or 
deliring which is contrary to God is not 
in God; for God cannot will or delire 
anything contrary to Himfelf, or other- 
wife than Himfelf. Therefore it is evil 
or not good, and is merely nought. 

God loveth alfo works, but not all 
works. Which then? Such as are 
done from the teaching and guidance 
of the True Light and the True Love; 
and what is done from thefe and in 
thefe, is done in fpirit and in truth, and 
what is thereof, is God's, and pleafeth 
Him well. But what is done of the 
falfe Light and falfe Love, is all of the 
Wicked One; and efpeciallywhat hap- 
peneth, is done or left undone, wrought 
or fuffered from any other will, or de- 
iire, or love, than God's will, or deiire, 
or love. This is, and cometh to pafs, 
without God and contrary to God, and 
is utterly contrary to good works, and 
is altogether fin. 



Theologia Germanka. 171 



CHAP. XLVIII. 

How we mujt believe certain Things of God's 
Truth beforehand^ ere we can come to a true 
Knowledge and Experience thereof. 

pHRIST faid, '^He that believeth 
not/' or will not or cannot believe, 
*^ fhall be damned." It is fo of a truth ; 
for a man, while he is in this prefent 
time, hath not knowledge; and he can- 
not attain unto it,unlefs he first believe. 
And he who would know before he 
believeth, cometh never to true know- 
ledge. We fpeak not here of the arti- 
cles of the Chriftian faith, for every- 
one believeth them, and they are com- 
mon to every Chriftian man, whether 
he be finful or faved, good or wicked, 
and they muft be believed in the firft 
place, for without that, one cannot come 
to know them. But we are fpeaking 
of a certain Truth which it is poffible 
to know by experience, but which ye 



172 Theologia Germanica. 

muft believe in, before that ye know it 
by experience, elfe ye will never come 
to know it truly. This is the faith of 
which Chrift fpeaketh in that faying 
of His. 



CHAP. XLIX. 

Of Self-vjill^ and how Lucifer and Adam fell 
away from God through Self-will. 

TT hath been faid, that there is of 
nothing fo much in hell as of felf- 
will. The which is true, for there is 
nothing elfe there than self-will, and 
if there were no felf-will there would 
be no Devil and no hell. When it is 
faid that Lucifer fell from Heaven, and 
turned away from God and the like, 
it meaneth nothing elfe than that he 
would have his own will, and would 
not be at one with the Eternal Will. 
So was it likewife with Adam in Para- 
dife. And when we fay Self-will, we 
mean, to will otherwife than as the 
One and Eternal Will of God willeth. 



Theologia Germanica. 173 



CHAP. L. 

How this prefent Time is a Paradije and 
outer Court of Heaven^ and how therein 
there is only one ^ree forbidden^ that is^ 
Self-will. 

TA^HAT is Paradife? All things 
that are; for all are goodly and 
pleafant, and therefore may fitly be 
called a Paradife. It is faid alfo that 
Paradife is an outer court of Heaven. 
Even fo this w^orld is verily an outer 
court of the Eternal, or of Eternity, 
and fpecially whatever in Time, or any 
temporal things or creatures, manfeft- 
eth or remindeth us of God or Eter- 
nity; for the creatures are a guide and 
a path unto God and Eternity, Thus 
this world is an outer court of Eternity, 
and therefore it may well be called a 
Paradife, for it is fuch in truth. And 
in this Paradife, all things are lawful, 
fave one tree and the fruits thereof. 



That is to fay: of all things that are, 
nothing is forbidden and nothing is 
contrary to God but one thing only: 
that is, Self-will, or to will otherwife 
than as the Eternal Will would have it. 
Remember this. For God faith to 
Adam, that is, to every man, *^ What- 
ever thou art, or doeft, or leaveft un- 
done, or whatever cometh to pafs, is 
all lawful and not forbidden if it be not 
done from or according to thy will, but 
for the fake of and according to My will. 
But all that is done from thine own 
will is contrary to the Eternal Will." 

It is not that every work which is 
thus wrought is in itfelf contrary to 
the Eternal Will, but in fo far as it is 
wrought from a different will, or 
otherwife than from the Eternal and 
Divine Will. 



CHAP. LI. 

Wherefore God hath created Self-will^ f^^i^g 
that it is fo contrary to Him. 

"^TOW fome may afk: ^^lince this 
tree, to wit. Self-will, is fo con- 
trary to God and the Eternal Will, 
wherefore hath God created it, and fet 
it in Paradife?'' 

Anfwer: whatever man or creature 
defireth to dive into or underftand the 
fecret counfel and will of God, fo that 
he would fain know wherefore God 
doeth this, or doeth not that, and the 
like, defireth the fame as Adam and the 
Devil. For this defire is feldom from 
aught elfe than that the man taketh de- 
light in knowing, and glorieth therein, 
and this is flieer pride. And fo long as 
thisdefire lafteth, the truth will never be 
known, and the man is even as Adam 
or the Devil. A truly humble and 
enlightened man doth not defire of God 



L 



176 Theologia Germanica. 

that He fhould reveal His fecrets unto 
him, nor aik wherefore God doeth this 
or that, or hindereth or alloweth fuch 
a thing, and fo forth; but he defireth 
only to know how he may pleafe God, 
and become as nought in himfelf, hav- 
ing no will, and that the Eternal Will 
may live in him, and have full poiTeffion 
of him, undifturbed by any other will, 
and how its due may be rendered to the 
Eternal Will, by him and through him. 
However, there is yet another an- 
fwer to this queflion, for we may fay: 
the moft noble and delightful gift that 
is beflowed on any creature is that of 
perceiving, or Reafon, and Will. And 
thefe two are fo bound together, that 
where the one is, there the other is alfo. 
And if it were not for thefe two gifts, 
there would be no reafonable creatures, 
but only brutes and brutifhnefs; and 
that were a great lofs, for God would 
never have His due, and behold Him- 
felf and his attributes manifefted in 



"Theologta Germanka. 177 

deeds and works; the which ought to 
be, and is necefTary to perfection. 
Now, behold. Perception and Reafon 
are created and beftowed along with 
will, to the intent that they may inftrucfl 
the will and alfo themfelves,that neither 
perception nor will is of itfelf, nor is 
nor ought to be unto itfelf, nor ought 
to feek or obey itfelf. Neither fhall 
they turn themfelves to their own ad- 
vantage, nor make ufe of themfelves to 
their own ends and purpofes; for His 
they are from Whom they do proceed, 
and unto Him fhall they fubmit, and 
flow back into Him, and become nought 
in themfelves, that is, in their felfifhnefs. 
But here ye muft confider more par- 
ticularly, fomewhat touching the Will. 
There is an Eternal Will, which is in 
God a firft principle and fubftance, 
apart from all works and efl^efts,* and 
the fame will is in Man, or the creature, 
willing certain things, and bringing 

* Or realization^ wirklichkeit* 



178 Theologia Germanica. 

them to pafs. For it belongeth unto 
the Will and is its property that it fhall 
will fomething. What elfe is it for? 
For it were in vain, unlefs it had fome 
work to do, and this it cannot have 
without the creature. Therefore there 
muft be creatures, and God will have 
them, to the end that the Will may 
be put in exercife by their means, and 
work, which in God is and muft be 
without work. Therefore the will in 
the creature, which we call a created 
will, is as truly God's as the Eternal 
Will, and is not of the creature. 

And now, fince God cannot bring 
His will into exercife, working and 
caufing changes, without the creature, 
therefore it pleafeth Him to do fo in 
and with the creature. Therefore the 
will is not given to be exerted by the 
creature, but only by God, who hath a 
right to work out His own will by 
means of the will which is in man, and 
yet is God's. And in whatever man 



Theologia Germanica. 179 

or creature it fhould be purely and 
wholly thus, the will would be exerted 
not by the man but by God, and thus 
it would not be felf-will, and the man 
would not will otherwife than as God 
willeth; for God Himfelf would move 
the will and not man. And thus the 
will would be one with the Eternal 
Will, and flow out into it, though the 
man would ftill keep his fenfe of liking 
and difliking, pleafure and pain, and 
the like. For wherever the will is 
exerted, there muft be a fenfe of liking 
and difliking; for if things go accord- 
ing to his will, the man liketh it, and 
if they do not, he difliketh it, and this 
liking and difliking are not of the man's 
producing, but of God's. [For what- 
ever is the fource of the will, is the 
fource of thefe alfo.*] Now the will 
Cometh not of man but of God, there- 
fore liking and difliking come from Him 

* This fentence is found in Luther's edition, but not in 
that bafed on the Wurtzburg Manufcript. 



i8o Theologia Germanica. 

alfo. But nothing is complained of, 
fave only what is contrary to God. So 
alfo there is no joy but of God alone, 
and that which is His and belongeth 
unto Him. And as it is with the will, 
fo is it alfo with perception, reafon, 
gifts, love, and all the powers of man; 
they are all of God, and not of man. 
And wherever the will fhould be alto- 
gether furrendered to God, the reft 
would of a certainty be furrendered like- 
wife, and God would have His right, and 
the man's will would not be his own. 
Behold, therefore hath God created the 
will, but not that it fhould be felf-will. 
Now Cometh the Devil or Adam, 
that is to fay, falfe nature, and taketh 
this will unto itfelf and maketh the 
fame its own, and ufeth it for itfelf and 
its own ends. And this is the mifchief 
and wrong, and the bite that Adam 
made in the apple, which is forbidden, 
becaufe it is contrary to God. And 
therefore, fo long as there is any felf- 



will, there will never be true love, true 
peace, true reft. This we fee both in 
man and in the Devil. And there will 
never be true bleiTednefs either in time 
or eternity, where this felf-will is work- 
ing, that is to fay, where man taketh 
the will unto himfelf and maketh it his 
own. And if it be not furrendered in 
this prefent time, but carried over into 
eternity, it may be forefeen that it will 
never be furrendered, and then of a 
truth there will never be content, nor 
reft, nor bleiTednefs; as we may fee by 
the Devil. If there were no reafon or 
will in the creatures, God were, and 
muft remain for ever, unknown, un- 
loved, unpraifed and unhonored, and all 
the creatures would be worth nothing, 
and were of no avail to God. Behold 
thus the queftion which was put to us 
is anfwered.^ And if there were 

any, who, by much writing (which 
yet is brief and profitable in God,) 

* Namely, why God had created the will. 



1 82 Theologia Germanica. 

might be led to amend their ways, this 
were indeed well-pleafing unto God. 

That which is free, none may call 
his own, and he who maketh it his own, 
committeth a wrong. Now, in the 
whole realm of freedom, nothing is fo 
free as the will, and he who maketh it 
his own, and fuffereth it not to remain 
in its excellent freedom, and free no- 
bility, and in its free exercife, doth a 
grievous wrong. This is what is done 
by the Devil and Adam and all their 
followers. But he who leaveth the will 
in its noble freedom doeth right, and 
this doth Chrift with all his followers. 
And whofo robbeth the will of its no- 
ble freedom and maketh it his own, 
muft of neceffity as his reward, be laden 
with cares and troubles, with difcon- 
tent, difquiet, unreft, and all manner 
of wretchednefs, and this will remain 
and endure in time and in eternity. 
But he who leaveth the will in its free- 
dom, hath content, peace, reft and bleff- 



"Theologia Germanica. 183 

ednefs in time and in eternity. But he 
who leaveth the will in its freedom, 
hath content, peace, reft and blelfed- 
nefs in time and in eternity. Where- 
ever there is a man in whom the will 
is not enflaved, but continueth noble 
and free, there is a true freeman not in 
bondage to any, one of thofe to whom 
Chrift faid: ^^the truth fhall make you 
free;" and immediately after, he faith: 
*^if the Son fhall make you free, ye 
fhall be free indeed.''* 

Furthermore, mark ye that where 
the will enjoyeth its freedom, it hath 
its proper work, that is, willing. And 
where it choofeth whatever it will 
unhindered, it always choofeth in all 
things what is nobleft and beft, and all 
that is not noble and good it hateth, 
and findeth to be a grief and offence 
unto it. And the more free and un- 
hindered the will is, the more is it pain- 
ed by evil, injuftice, iniquity, and in 

* John vlii. 32-36, 



184 Theologia Germanica. 

fhort all manner of wickednefs and fin, 
and the more do they grieve and afflicft 
it. This we fee in Chrift, whofe will 
was the pureft and the leaft fettered, 
or brought into bondage of any man's 
that ever lived. So likewife was Chrift's 
human nature the moft free and lingle 
of all creatures, and yet felt the deepeft 
grief, pain, and indignation at fin that 
any creature ever felt. But when men 
claim freedom for their own, fo as to 
feel no forrow or indignation at fin and 
what is contrary to God, but fay that 
we muft heed nothing and care for 
nothing, but be, in this prefent time, 
as Chrift was after his refurredlion, and 
the like; — this is no true and divine 
freedom fpringing from the true divine 
Light, but a natural, unrighteous, falfe, 
and deceitful freedom, fpringing from 
a natural, falfe and deluded light 

Were there no felf-will, there would 
be alfo no ownerfhip. In heaven there 
is no ownerfhip; hence there are found 



Theologia Germanka. 185 

cx)ntent, true peace and all bleffednefs. 
If any one there took upon him to call 
anything his own, he would ftraight- 
w^ay be thruft out into hell, and would 
become an evil fpirit. But in hell 
every one will have felf-will, therefore 
there is all manner of mifery and wretch- 
ednefs. So is it alfo here on earth. 
But if therewere one in hell who fhould 
get quit of his felf-will and call nothing 
his own, he would come out of hell into 
heaven. Now, in this prefent time, 
man is fet between heaven and hell, 
and may turn himfelf towards which 
he will. For the more he hath of 
ownerfhip, the more he hath of hell 
and mifery; and the lefs of felf-will, 
the lefs of hell, and the nearer he is to 
the Kingdom of Heaven. And could 
a man, while on earth, be wholly quit 
of self-will and ownerfhip, and ftand 
up free and at large in God's true light, 
and continue therein, he would be fure 
of the Kingdom of Heaven. He who 



1 86 Theologia Germanica. 

hath fomething, or feeketh or longeth 
to have fomething of his own, is him- 
felf a flave, and he who hath nothing 
of his own, nor feeketh nor longeth 
thereafter, is free and at large, and in 
bondage to none. 

All that hath here been faid, Chrift 
taught in words and fulfilled in w^orks 
for three and thirty years, and he teach- 
eth it to us very briefly when he faith : 
*^ Follow me/' But he who will fol- 
low him muft forfake all things, for 
he renounced all things fo utterly as no 
man elfe hath ever done. Moreover, 
he who will come after him muft take 
up the crofs, and the crofs is nothing 
elfe than Chrift's life, for that is a bit- 
ter crofs to nature. Therefore he faith: 
*'And he that taketh not his crofs, and 
folio weth after me, is not worthy of me, 
and cannot be my difciple."'"* But na- 
ture in her falfe freedom, weeneth fhe 
hath forfaken all things, yet fhe will 

* Matt. X. 38, and Luke xlv. 27. 



Theologia Germanka. 187 

have none of the crofs, and faith fhe 
hath had enough of it already, and 
needeth it no longer, and thus fhe is 
deceived. For had fhe ever tafled the 
crofs fhe would never part with it again. 
He that believeth on Chrifh mufl be- 
lieve all that is here written. 



CHAP. UL 

How we muft take thqfe two Sayings of Chriji: 
^^No man cometh unto the Father^ hut by 
mey' and ^^No man cometh unto me^ except 
the Father which hathjent me draw him.'' 

/^^HRIST faith: *^no man cometh 
unto the Father but by me.''* 
Now mark how we mufl come unto 
the Father through Chrifl. The man 
fhall fet a watch over himfelf and all 
that belongeth to him within and with- 
out, and fhall fo diredt, govern, and 
guard his heart, as far as in him lieth, 
that neither will nor defire, love nor 
longing, opinion nor thought, fhall 

* John xiv. 6. 



1 88 Theologia Germanica. 

fpring up in his heart, or have any- 
abiding place in him, fave fuch as are 
meet for God and would befeem Him 
well, if God Himfelf were made man. 
And whenever he becometh aware of 
any thought or intent riling up within 
him that doth not belong to God and 
were not meet for Him, he mull: relift 
it and root it out as thoroughly and as 
fpeedily as he may. 

By this rule he muft order his out- 
ward behaviour, whether he work or 
refrain, fpeak or keep lilence, wake or 
fleep, go or ftand ftilL In lliort: in 
all his ways and walks, whether as 
touching his own bulinefs, or his deal- 
ings with other men, he muft keep his 
heart with all diligence, left he do 
aught, or turn afide to aught, or fuffer 
aught to fpring up or dwell within him 
or about him, or left anything be done 
in him or through him, otherwife than 
were meet for God, and would be pof- 
lible and feemly if God Himfelf were 
verily made Man* 



T'heologia Germanica. 189 

Behold! he, in whom it fhould be 
thus, whatever he had within, or did 
without, would be all of God, and the 
man would be in his life a follower of 
Chrift, more truly than we can under- 
ftand or fet forth. And he who led 
fuch a life would go in and out through 
Chrift; for he would be a follower of 
Chrift: therefore alfo he would come 
with Chrift and through Chrift unto 
the Father. And he would be alfo a 
fervant of Chrift, for he who cometh 
after him is his fervant, as he himfelf 
alfo faith: *^If any man ferve me, let 
him follow me; and w^here I am, there 
fhall alfo my fervant be.''^ And he 
who is thus a fervant and follower of 
Chrift, cometh to that place where 
Chrift himfelf is; that is, unto the 
Father. As Chrift himfelf faith : '' Fa- 
ther, I will that they alfo, whom thou 
haft given me, be with me where I 
am.^'f Behold, he who walketh in 

♦ John xli. 26. f John xvil. 14. 



190 Theologia Germanica. 

this path, '^entereth in by the door inio 
the (heep-fold/' that is, into eternal 
life; ''and to him the porter openeth;"* 
but he who entereth in by fome other 
way, or vainly thinketh that he would 
or can come to the Father or to eter- 
nal bleflednefs otherwife than through 
Chrift, is deceived; for he is not in the 
right Way, nor entereth in by the right 
Door. Therefore to him the porter 
openeth not, for he is a thief and a 
murderer, as Chrift faith. 

Now, behold and mark, whether 
one can be in the right Way, and enter 
in by the right Door, if one be living 
in lawlefs freedom or licenfe, or difre- 
gard of ordinances, virtue or vice, order 
or diforder, and the like. Such liberty 
we do not find in Chrift, neither is it 
in any of his true followers. 

* John X. I, 3. 



Theologia Germanica. 191 



CHAP. LIII. 

Confidereth that other faying of Chrifty ^^No 
Man can come unto me^ except the Father 
which hath fent me draw him.'' 

/^HRIST hath alfo faid: '^No man 
Cometh unto me, except the Fa- 
ther which hath fent me draw him."* 
Now mark: by the Father, 1 under- 
ftand the Perfedl, Simple Good, which 
is All and above All, and without 
which and beiides which there is no true 
Subftance, nor true Good, and without 
w^hich no good work ever was or will 
be done. And in that it is All, it muft 
be in All and above All. And it can- 
not be any one of thofe things which 
the creatures, as creatures, can com- 
prehend or underftand. For whatever 
the creature, as creature (that is, in her 
creature kind), can conceive of and un- 
derftand, is fomething, this or that, and 

* John vi. 44. 



192 Theologia Germanica. 

therefore is fome fort of creature. And 
now if the Simple Perfedl Good were 
fomewhat, this or that, which the crea- 
ture underftandeth, it would not be the 
All, nor the Only One, and therefore 
not Perfedt. Therefore alfo it cannot 
be named, feeing that is none of all the 
things which the creature as creature 
can comprehend, know, conceive, or 
name. Now behold, when this Per- 
fe6l Good, which is unnameable, flow- 
eth into a Perfon able to bring forth, 
and bringeth forth the Only-begotten 
Son in that Perfon, and itfelf in Him, 
we call it the Father, 

Now mark how the Father draweth 
men unto Chrift. When fomewhat 
of this Perfed: Good is difcovered and 
revealed within the foul of man, as 
it were in a glance or flafh, the foul 
conceiveth a longing to approach unto 
the Perfed: Goodnefs, and unite herfelf 
with the Father. And the ftronger 
this yearning groweth, the more is re- 



Theolo^ia Germanica. 193 



vealed unto her; and the more is re- 
vealed unto her, the more is fhe drawn 
toward the Father, and her deiire 
quickened. Thus is the foul drawn 
and quickened into a union with the 
Eternal Goodnefs. And this is the 
drawing of the Father, and thus the 
foul is taught of Him who draweth her 
unto Himfelf, that fhe cannot enter 
into a union with Him except fhe 
come unto Him by the life of Chrift. 
Behold! now fhe putteth on that life 
of which I have fpoken afore. 

Now fee the meaning of thefe two 
fayings of Chrift's. The one, ''no man 
Cometh unto the Father but by me;'' 
that is, through my life, as hath been 
fet forth. The other faying, ''no man 
Cometh unto me except the Father 
draw him;'' that is, he doth not take 
my life upon him and come after me, 
except he be moved and drawn of my 
Father; that is, of the Simple and Per- 
fedl Good, of which St. Paul faith: 



194 Theologia Germanka. 

^' when that which is perfed: is come, 
then that which is in part fhall be done 
away." That is to fay; in whatever 
foul this Perfedl Good is known, felt 
and tailed, fo far as may be in this 
prefent time, to that foul all created 
things are as nought compared with this 
Perfed: One, as in truth they are; for 
befide or without the Perfecfl One, is 
neither true Good nor true Subftance. 
Whofoever then hath, or knoweth, or 
loveth, the Perfedt One, hath and 
knoweth all goodnefs. What more 
then doth he want, or what is all that 
*^is in part'' to him, feeing that all the 
parts are united in the Perfedl, in One 
Subftance. 

What hath here been faid, concern- 
eth the outward life, and is a good way 
or accefs unto the true inward life; but 
the inward life beginneth after this. 
When a man hath tafted that which is 
perfed: as far as is poffible in this pref- 
ent time, all created things and even 



"Theologia Germanica. igs 

himfelf become as nought to him. 
And when he perceiveth of a truth 
that the Perfedl One is All and above 
All, he needs muft follow after Him, 
and afcribe all that is good, fuch as 
Subftance, Life, Knowledge, Reafon, 
Power, and the like, unto Him alone 
and to no creature. And hence fol- 
loweth that the man claimeth for his 
own neither Subftance, Life, Knowl- 
edge, nor power. Doing nor Refraining, 
nor any thing that we can call good. 
And thus the man becometh fo poor, 
that he is nought in himfelf, and fo 
are alfo all things unto him which are 
fomewhat, that is, all created things. 
And then there beginneth in him a true 
inward life, wherein from hencefor- 
ward, God Himfelf dwelleth in the 
man, fo that nothing is left in him but 
what is God's or of God, and nothing 
is left which taketh anything unto it- 
felf. And thus God Himfelf, that is, 
the One Eternal Perfedlnefs alone is. 



liveth, knoweth, worketh, loveth,will- 
ethj doeth and refraineth in the man. 
And thus, of a truth, it fhould be, and 
where it is not fo, the man hath yet 
far to travel, and things are not alto- 
gether right with him. 

Furthermore, it is a good way and 
accefs unto this life, to feel always that 
what is beft is deareft, and always to 
prefer the beft, and to cleave to it, and 
unite onefelf to it. Firft : in the crea- 
tures. But what is beft in the cica- 
tures? Beaflured: that, in which the 
Eternal Perfed: Goodnefs and what is 
thereof, that is, all which belongeth 
thereunto, moft brightly fhineth and 
worketh, and is beft known and loved. 
But what is that which is of God, and 
belongeth unto Him? I anfwer: what- 
ever with juftice and truth we do, or 
might call good. 

When therefore among the creatures 
the man cleaveth to that which is the 
beft that he can perceive, and keepeth 



fteadfaftly to that, in finglenefs of heart, 
he Cometh afterward to what is better 
and better, until, at laft, he findeth and 
tafteth that the Eternal Good is a Per- 
fedl Good, without meafure and num- 
ber above all created good. Now if 
what is beft is to be deareft to us, and 
we are to follow after it, the One Eter- 
nal Good muft be loved above all and 
alone, and we muft cleave to Him 
alone, and unite ourfelves with Him 
as clofely as we may. And now if we 
are to afcribe all goodnefs to the One 
Eternal Good, as of right and truth we 
ought, fo muil: we alfo of right and 
truth afcribe unto Him the beginning, 
middle, and end of our courfe, fo that 
nothing remain to man or the creature. 
So it fhould be of a truth, let men fay 
what they will. 

Now on this wife we fhould attain 
unto a true inward life. And what 
then further would happen to the foul, 
or would be revealed unto her, and 



198 Theologia Germanica. 

what her life would be henceforward, 
none can declare or guefs* For it is 
that which hath never been uttered by- 
man's lips, nor hath it entered into the 
heart of man to conceive. 

In this our long difcourfe, are brief- 
ly comprehended thofe things which 
ought of right and truth to be fulfilled : 
to wit, that man fhould claim nothing 
for his own, nor crave, will, love, or 
intend anything but God alone, and 
what is like unto Him, that is to fay, 
the One, Eternal, Perfe6t Goodnefs. 

But if it be not thus with a man, and 
he take, will, purpofe, or crave, fome- 
what for himfelf, this or that, whatever 
it maybe, befide or other than the Eter- 
nal and Perfe6t Goodnefs which is God 
Himfelf, this is all too much and a great 
injury, [and hindereth the man from a 
perfedl life; wherefore he can never reach 
the Perfed: Good, unlefs he firft forfake 
all things and himfelf firft of all. For 
no man can ferve two mafters, who are 



"Theolo^ia Ger7nantca^ 199 



<!^ 



contrary the one to the other; he who 
will have the one, muft let the other 
go. Therefore if the Creator fhall 
enter in, the creature muft depart. Of 
this be alTured.] 

CHAR LIV. 

How a Man /hall not feek his own^ either in 
Things Jpiritual or natural^ hut the Honour 
of God only ; and how he mufi enter in by 
the right Door^ to wit, by Chrijiy into 
Eternal Life, 

TF a man may attain thereunto, to be 
unto God as his hand is to a man, let 
him be therewith content, and not feek 
further. [This is my faithful counfel, 
and here I take my iland. That is to 
fay, let him ftrive and wreftle with all 
his might to obey God and His com- 
mandments fo thoroughly at all times 
and in all things, that in him there be 
nothing, fpiritual or natural, which 
oppofeth God; and that his whole foul 
and body with all their members may 
t 



200 Theologia Germanka. 

ftand ready and willing for that to which 
God hath created them; as ready and 
willing as his hand is to a man, which 
is fo wholly in his power, that in the 
twinkling of an eye, he moveth and turn- 
eth it whither he will. And when we 
find it otherwife with us, we muft give 
our whole diligence to amend our ftate; 
and this from love and not from fear, and 
in all things whatfoever,feek and intend 
the glory and praife of God alone. We 
muft not feek our own, either m things 
fpiritual or in things natural.] It muft 
needs be thus, if it is to ftand well with 
us. And every creature oweth this of 
right and truth unto God, and efpeci- 
ally man [to whom, by the ordinance 
of God, all creatures are made fubjed:, 
and are fervants, that he may be fub- 
jed: to and ferve God only.] 

Further, when a man hath come fo 
far, and climbed fo high, that he think- 
eth and weeneth he ftandeth fure, let 
him beware left the Devil ftrew aflies 



Theolcgia Ger^nanica. 20 1 

and his own bad feed on his heart, and 
nature feek and take her own comfort, 
reft, peace, and dehght in the profperity 
of his foul, and hefall into afoonfh,Iaw- 
lefs freedom and Hcentioufnefs, which is 
altogether alien to, and at war with a 
true life in God. And this will happen 
to that man who hath not entered, or 
refufeth to enter in by the right Way 
and the right Door (which is Chrift, as 
we have faid), and imagineth that he 
would or could come by any other way 
to the higheft truth. He may perhaps 
dream that he hath attained thereunto, 
but verily he is in error. 

And our witnefs is Chrift, who de- 
clareth : ** Verily, verily, I fay unto you, 
Hethatentereth not by the door into the 
fheepfold, but climbeth up fome other 
way, the fame is a thief and a robber/' 
[A thief, for he robbeth God of His ho- 
nour and glory, which belong to God 
alone; he taketh them unto himfelf,and 
feeketh and purpofeth himfelf. A mur- 
derer, for he ilayeth his own foul, and 



202 Theologia Germanica. 

taketh away her life which is God. For 
as the body liveth by the foul, even fo 
the foul liveth by God. Moreover, he 
murdereth all thofe who follow him, by 
his dodlrine and example. For Chrifl 
faith: ^^I came down from heaven, 
not to do mine own will, but the will 
of Him that fent me.""^ And again: 
*' Why call ye me Lord, Lordl-f-" as if 
he would fay, it will avail you nothing 
to Eternal Life. And again: *'Not 
every one that faith unto me. Lord, 
Lord, fhall enter into the Kingdom of 
Heaven; but he that doeth the will of 
my Father which is in Heaven. "J But 
he faith alfo: ^* If thou wilt enter into 
life, keep the commandments. ''§ And 
what are the commandments? **To 
love the Lord thy God with all thy 
heart, with all thy foul, and with all 
thy ftrength, and with all thy mind; 
and to love thy neighbour as thyfelf.''|| 

* John VI. 38. f Luke vl. 4.6. 

J Matt. vii. 21. § Matt. xix. 17. 

II Luke 'X. 27. 



Theologia Germanica. 203 

And in thefe two commandments all 
others are briefly comprehended. 

There is nothing more precious to 
God, or more profitable to man, than 
humble obedience. In his eyes, one 
good work, wrought from true obe- 
dience, is of more value than a hundred 
thoufand wrought from self-will, con- 
trary to obedience. Therefore he who 
haththisobedience need notdread Him, 
for fuch a man is in the right way, and 
following after Chrift.] 

That we may thus deny ourfelves, and 
forfakeand renounceall things for God's 
fake, and give up our own wills, and 
die unto ourfelves, and live unto God 
alone and to His will, may He help us, 
who gave up His will to His Heavenly 
Father — Jefus Chrift our Lord to whom 
be blefling for ever and ever. Amen. 



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